From time to time, my son will spit out a short phrase or sentence, often repeating something from a movie or tv show… and usually when he says it, it is totally appropriate to the situation.
So, this is the one that makes me laugh every time… the high squeaky voice he imitates and pattern- I still haven’t been able to place the movie or show that he is mimicking, but regardless, totally appropriate for my initial blog.
In 2023, I hit a birthday milestone. A few months leading up to it, I became a hot mess. Thinking about how fast the last 20 years have flown by raising our two boys, and applying that same timeframe to how much longer I have on this earth. Panic hit… who will take care of our son? Where will he go when we are gone? These are not unique thoughts to other parents in our situation, but foreign to those who aren’t. How can we build a life for him that provides the same safe, nurturing environment he has been accustomed to? My mind raced over and over, thinking not only about him, but others like him, that haven’t been so lucky, or that are being raised by grandparents who are asking the same questions…Talk about sleepless nights..
We were living in Florida at the time. My husband and I started talking, and after several different moves to a few states, where did we want to be for our permanent home- and ultimately, where do we have the required support for his long term success, or at least, comfort and safety? We kept talking about how fortunate we have been, and how there are so many others that are in need of companionship, a sense of purpose, and unconditional love. While my old Kentucky home will always be just that, our home, my family’s home, was in South Carolina. We started looking for property and mapped out some future plans. We had some ideas, but thought, is this cwazy?
We went on a trip with some of our friends from South Carolina, and mentioned our idea for the future and was so excited when they didn’t seem to think we were crazy…in fact, they said they were all in, and would help us along our journey. Is this for real? So, we found a parcel of land, totaling about 14 acres and started planning our dream.
Fast forward to 2025, we’ve started to develop the property, are living in camper while we do so, and have started moving forward formally with our plan..
He graduates from high school this year at the age of 20. His birthday is in June, so he can’t attend in the fall, he has aged out. He loves school and has been very fortunate these last few years to have been part of some wonderful county programs with teachers who love him.. It is so scary to think about what is next. So, it is time…
Am I crazy? Perhaps, but folks, this is just the beginning….
