28 February, 2019

...this...

This.
Was 15.

It was all the ups and downs and highs and lows and everything in between, of a teenage year.
It was trips to sights unseen and to old familiar locales.
It was new foods and experiences, and favourite meals and activities.
It was ice-skating, and wave-crashing, and shoveling out with the power out.
It was frustrated tears and shouting voices and the sweetest hugs.
It was school days and sick days and mental health days.
It was sleepovers and sleepless nights.
It was hours and hours of schoolwork and homework and therapies and volunteering.
It was practicing and performing. Composing and rewriting. It was concerts and shows and trophies.
It was honor rolls and graduation and the start of freshman year.
It was meetings and conversations and arguments and concessions.
It was passion projects and collaborations, solo creations and teamwork.
It was...
...being recognized as a creator by an invested teacher and her alumus, and supported in the pursuit of his goal so he could launch his first business:
https://www.facebook.com/TerminusIndustries/
https://nightstrike.wixsite.com/terminus-industries
https://www.shapeways.com/shops/nightstrike-s-customs
...stepping back and allowing him to step forward, trusting wholly in his capacity (emotional, intellectual, eloquence, passion, wisdom, experience...the list goes on) to advocate for himself and for those following in his footsteps. It was sitting in awe as he loudly declared that indeed "Different is NOT Deficient and Autism does NOT need to be cured", stating clearly and effectively his absolute truth and taking a stand against his superintendent, his school district, and anyone else who is fool enough to believe his autism renders him "less than" in any way:
...watching with our breaths catching in our throats and pulses racing and nerves on fire as the world took notice:
https://www.facebook.com/leanna.wellerding/posts/10156638660776614
...and as his words, and his truth gained momentum, spreading across social media platforms and continents:
https://www.facebook.com/…/a.82943062711…/1662577893798081/…
...discovering that we both were, in fact, experts in our areas of knowledge and experience:
http://www.2enewsletter.com/article_2018_5_DoesDifferentEqu…
...letting the tears of pride and joy and triumphs hard-won fall freely:
https://www.facebook.com/leanna.wellerding/posts/10156709990041614
...falling back on the teamwork that has brought us thus far and branching out into new directions as guest speakers and realizing the experience created the capactity to advise:
https://www.facebook.com/leanna.wellerding/videos/10156729001876614/
https://www.facebook.com/leanna.wellerding/videos/10156729009546614/
https://www.facebook.com/leanna.wellerding/videos/10156729014116614/
https://www.facebook.com/leanna.wellerding/videos/10156729014651614/
...and taking what he's learned of science, combining it with faith and finding his way through the tough questions:
https://www.facebook.com/leanna.wellerding/posts/10156960651356614
...and so much more!
It was a year. A whole year of my being lucky enough to be along for the ride. A whole year of every conceivable, and staggeringly many inconceivable, moments of joy and suprise and pride and delight.
It was.
15.
And it's over now.
Welcome, 16!


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