Success!

Complete Success! Yes, that is how I would describe Cam’s play date with his FRIEND! Cam woke up the other day so excited! He picked out his favorite t-shirt, got his toys ready and waited with anticipation. The little boy’s mom dropped him off for the play date and the boys started playing their favorite video game together right away. I sat here in our living room listening to my son laughing and talking game “strategy” and I cried. My husband smiled at me because he knew how excited I was for this day. I cried tears of joy listening to their little conversation, I cried tears of joy that this little boys mom wasn’t “scared” to leave her son here to play with Cam because he is “different”, I cried because I never thought this day would come. There was no one watching every move Cam made ready to pounce on him for doing something wrong (yes I have witnessed other parents staring at my son waiting for him to do something “wrong” because of his diagnosis…sad but true), there was just two little boys playing and laughing.

I checked on them several times…more out of selfishness really. I just wanted to see Cam’s little face so happy to have a friend over and playing with him. At one point Cam got very frustrated with the game they were playing and started to meltdown and instead of the child getting scared or getting mad, his friend simply asked Cam what was wrong and helped Cam work through it. Insert more tears here. This little boy helped my son and then continued to want to play with him. He didn’t ask to leave and even when I asked him a little later if he was ready for me to call his mom to come pick him up his response was “no thank you, I would really like to stay a long time to play more with Cam.” Happy dance!! He is looking past Cam’s “differences” and seeing the great boy that I see! They played video games, they watched Power Rangers, played outside, played with toys and not once got tired of each other and not once did the little boy want to leave.

Six hours later and they were still playing when his mom came to pick him up. They had so much fun and neither one of them wanted the playing to end. In fact the little boy asked when he could come back and maybe have a sleepover! Cam jumped on that idea and asked for it to happen right away. So, next weekend my son is having his first sleepover. Next weekend my son is having his FRIEND over again! I never thought this day would happen where I could say my son has a friend. Not only a friend, but a friend he made all on his own and a friend that looks past any differences and doesn’t question why he does certain things but just asks if he is ok and moves past it with Cam. A friend that wants to play with him.

In life I have learned so much thanks to my son. Since his diagnosis I have learned a lot about friendship and it hasn’t always been a good lesson. However, the friends that are true are the ones that can look past his diagnosis, past our struggles with him and see the amazing little boy that we do. I never thought there would be a day where Cam would have that kind of friend….but it looks like all on his own he once again has proven me wrong and has that kind of friend. As a friend of mine said “it only takes that one special friend to make a huge difference in our kids lives” and Cam seems to have made that one special friend.