Two years ago today my Dad left us to go to his heavenly home. He moved down here from Maryland five and a half years ago, deciding to move into an assisted living home. Within a week after moving in his health and disposition began quickly deteriorating and he begged to move back to our home. I asked him, "Is it better living with seventeen kids than living here?" He quickly replied yes, that he loved it here. So here he stayed until it was his time to go.
Grandad, as we all called him, was a quiet man. All his life he felt uncomfortable around groups of people. When we had visitors over he would often retreat into his room until they left. Though he was always willing to help and offer advice to anyone in need, he was a loner who did not easily form close relationships. One person he really seemed to bond with in our home was our son Jimmy.
Jimmy was born with Down Syndrome and a myriad of medical complications, including autistic tendencies. He could read four to five hundred flashcards, complicated names of dinosaurs and presidents, by the time he was six. As a child he was bright, somewhat outgoing, with the cutest little voice. Sadly after he hit puberty, and in the years since, Jimmy has gradually faded into himself. Today he no longer speaks and his interactions with others are few. He still smiles and laughs sometimes, he is aware of everything going on around him, but seems to be lost in his own mind.
Introvert Grandad and autistic Jimmy formed a quiet bond. Grandad looked out for Jimmy, always asking about him if he wasn't in his usual spot across the couch. Jimmy loved just sitting in the room with Grandad. Sometimes there were places Jimmy couldn't go with us, he has limited mobility, but he was always content to stay home with his Grandad. Grandad would speak to him in muted tones and Jimmy would smile, leaning towards him slightly. You could feel in those moments that there was a very special connection between them. They were kindred spirits.
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