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| Andy at the St. Patrick's Day parade in Cleveland 2012 |
Andyman is his nickname, and he is one of the sweetest most thoughtful boys I have ever known. I admire Andy for his genuine kindness, and his ability to know himself at such a young age. His internal compass is as good as they come, and I often feel that he has taught me more than I have taught him in his 12 years on this earth. He is such an old soul, and I admire his spirit very much. He handles disappointment better than most people I know, better than myself for sure, and has faced more adversity than his 3 other siblings combined. Despite all of this he still remains such a loving, kind, thoughtful child.
One of the biggest stuggles he has run into in his life is academics. Andy was diagnosed with a learning disability a couple of years ago when his teachers could not get him "caught up" in his reading/writing. (I had homeschooled the kids for 2 years and did alright with math, science, and history, but both boys were "behind" in reading/writing). I knew that there was something unusual going on because he hated to read, struggled with it, but LOVED to be read to. More than that - his spelling was/is horrendous. He still to this day spells phonetically, and he struggles with the written language every single day. He was pulled out of "regular" class during 4th and 5th grade, and went into a "special" class for reading/writing. He also had/has an I.E.P. for both of those subjects. Fortunately, for Andy, he ended up having the most wonderful teacher to help him get caught up. She stayed with him both school years, and was a wonderful inspiration to both Andy and myself. She pushed him when he needed to be pushed, and held him close when he needed to be comforted. I will always be indebted to her for all that she helped Andy with both academically and socially. She helped Andy develop confidence that he did not have prior to being under her watch for those 2 years.
Because Andy has struggled with reading he is an easy target for kids to pick on him. He calls himself a 'nerd', but he is completely ok with that, and you know what - I believe him. He knows who he is - as I have said before - and he is comfortable with that. He doesn't allow someone else's label of him define who he is. He clearly knows in his heart right from wrong, and he understands our family boundries - which by today's standards are pretty conservative for public school families. Andy is also sooooo good with other people. He is thoughtful and so very polite (a lost value in today's society). I love watching him interact with other kids and especially younger children. He is wonderful at including kids who are left out, and still has a young spirit. So many 12 year olds are into fashion and the opposite sex in today's age - I am grateful that Andy has such an "immature" (as some would say) spirit. He still sees the world through colorful lenses, and I hope that he always sees it that way. I wish we all did. The world would be a much better place.
| On his birthday 05/05/2012 with his new gift |
