Maybe it's a sign?

I've not at all kept the fact that I'm worried about Parker going to high school a secret. The fear of the transition, the new staff and letting him grow up all consume a tiny portion of my brain every hour I am awake.  (which is way more hours than I am asleep)

I was really excited to find out that one of the para pros who will be working with Parker at the high school next year was coming to spend the last quarter of school at the middle school getting to know Parker and to help form a familiar bond before he starts his freshman year next August. (**Excellent idea suggested by the school**)

I've been slightly consumed with the 10th Annual Walk for FX for the past few weeks so I haven't had much time to ask a lot about how this is going in great detail.  I knew it was going fine because I hadn't been told otherwise (and yes, they'd tell me!).

We are working each morning on having Parker get out of the car and walk up to the door by himself, instead of a para  coming out to get him.

This morning, he did that beautifully but I could see some hesitation in his eyes when he looked back at me.  Mrs. Horton (the para from the high school) was waiting just inside the door so I knew I had to do my part and drive away.

As I started to pull away, my heart started to sink.  I watched in my rear view mirror as he slowly made his way to the door.  Not with his Parker skip, but slow and hesitant. He stepped inside the door just as I reached the end of the parking lot. Since there was no one behind me, I waited and watched before pulling onto the street to take Allison to school.

Just as I started to have a million reasons why I wasn't sure this transition was going to work run through my mind, from my rear view mirror I see his long arms raise up and wrap around Mrs. Horton, his head on her shoulder and her arms wrap around him giving him that big hug he needs to start his day.

Maybe.  Just maybe that was the sign I needed to know this is going to be just fine after all.  If nothing else, it was my sign that I could breathe and get through my day. 

Or maybe a sign that life would be better if we could all start the school/work day with a big hug.  I know I'd be good with that!

To learn more about Fragile X Syndrome please visit the National Fragile X Foundation's website.
*Fragile X is the leading cause of inherited intellectual disability and the leading known genetic cause of Autism.