Oh Happy Day

There are days in life that you wish you could freeze and hold them in time. Today was one of those days. Cam woke up in a grumpy mood but quickly changed when I reminded him that we were suppose to go to a new friends house to play after school and if he was being grumpy he wouldn't be able to go. Pick up time came from school and he came out with a big smile and told me he was ready to go to his friends house because he had a great day. His teacher also told me that he had a really good day and that he must be really excited about his play time because that is all he talked about. 

Now, I was a nervous wreck about the play date all day. He has been going through some really rough roads lately and I knew if something went wrong on this play date that it would just set him back even further. I almost canceled it because I was so worried. I had fears because I have taken him to these play dates before with other children and most of the time I end up constantly being on him for the way he speaks to the other child, for the way he either interacts or lack of interaction. It isn't fun for the other child because if it doesn't go Cam's way, he doesn't play with them. I know it is hard to be his friend but he so badly wants a friend. He wants someone to play with him, I want someone to play with him. 

I didn't cancel because I couldn't explain to him that we weren't going because I didn't want him to get his feelings hurt or to hurt the other child's feelings. We got there and my stomach was in complete knots. Now let me add that the child's mom is a friend of mine and is probably one of the least judgemental people I have ever met, so it wasn't her I was worried about. I was worried about Cam...

The play date was a huge success! Cam and as he likes call him "my new friend that is just like me" played great together! There were a few bumps because lets face it, Cam likes things to go his way and doesn't understand why people don't always want to do exactly what he wants but overall it was an amazing afternoon. 

When we were heading back home Cam was telling me how much fun he had, how he can't wait to go back and how happy he was that he has a new friend like him. I, for the first time in what feels like forever cried tears of joy. I was overcome with happiness that he made a friend, as he says a friend like him. He played with him and there were no meltdowns, there were no yelling, there was just playing. He really felt accepted. He felt like how I so badly want him to always feel, that it is ok to be him.