Simon | Things You Have Taught Us

Today I'm sharing a little project Katie initiated. We invited a few important people in Simon's life to share what they've learned from him.

Documenting the stuff that matters. This is it.

From Mom:

• Simon you have taught me to celebrate and find wonder and awe in the smallest things.




• Simon, your presence in my life has taught me so much about what it means to be a human: compassion, strength, resilience, kindness, humor.




• Simon you have taught me to keep moving forward.




• Simon you've taught me to believe in magic.




• Simon you've taught me to embrace imperfection and to go with the flow.




• Simon, I am such a better person because you are in my life.

• That I can appreciate routine.




• What is truly important in life.




• What truly unconditional love is.




• To see how harmful judgment can be.




• Previously I did not know that I could experience so much wonderment over anything.




• The value of routines and planning.




• Just because a kid learns differently than the standard system accommodates, doesn't mean they can't learn.




• So often he's capable of more than I had previously realized.




• How much my presence or lack of it likely affects my own parents.

• Simon has taught me how wonderful it is to be a Gramma.




• Simon has taught me the excitement of running down the sand hills.




• Simon has taught me how awesome it is to watch movies together.




• Simon has taught me and reminded me how special a nightly prayer is.




• Simon has taught me how fun it is to dress up for Halloween, even if you're a Gramma.

• We need love. Simon has taught me to express love.




• Simon has reminded me so often that we all are searching for something that we are yet to find.




• Simon's smile is full of the warmth that God has provided. His ability to redirect his focus after insurmountable odds shows all of us we can adjust.




• Tension is present in all of us. Simon exhibits his frustration in a simple straight forward way. Right or wrong it is Simon and in many ways it is all of us.




• Simon has a unique gift to tune out the rest of us. Is it not a gift that we all aspire too? His ability to tune back in with motivation shows his interest to be relative within our family. God bless Simon and God bless our family.

• He was the first one to teach me about the love of an Aunt for a Nephew.  And boy did/do I.




• He has taught me to sit and enjoy a few kids programs on television with my own kids as a way of entering their little world and sitting with them for a while there in that world.




• He has taught me the art of balancing pizza on three fingers while under consumption.




• He has taught me how sweet a smile is when genuinely earned.




• He has taught me about the importance of pirates, both in history and in today's world of "intruders" and what not.

• Simon has taught me about the unconditional joy that lives deep within each of us and it's the ultimate pleasure to witness him living those moments when his squeals of joy fill the world.




• Simon has taught me about a love that transcends what most consider to be a "normal" mind - for in what may be considered by some to be a setback, he has excelled beyond my expectations in so many aspects of who he is. His hugs are better and more meaningful than most because they are 100% heartfelt and authentic.

• Power of concentration: how to concentrate on one thing and block everything else out especially as relates to Legos.




• To act out any movie part spontaneously.




• That the force is with him - when he was randomly selected to go through Jedi training at Disneyland and achieved a lifelong goal of becoming an honorary Jedi knight. I wish I could tell you how happy I was that day.

• Simon has taught me about paying attention and being aware of specific details. His memory and ability to recount stories and shows is amazing and has always impressed me and motivates me.




• Simon also has taught me that sometimes we're just not in the mood - and that is OK! I really love that Simon is Simon and he is completely authentic - sometimes when I visit he wants to hangout with me and other times he doesn't - that's not only OK, its something I should remember that is ok in my own day to day, when I'm feeling my own moods.

• Simon has taught me how special it is to find joy in the little everyday things,




• Simon has taught me the worth of going just a little bit out of the way of your own personal convenience to achieve happiness for another person. Those smiles and hugs are so so so worth it.




• Simon has taught me how special a bond can be between two people.




• Simon has taught me how delicious refried beans + cheese + chips are.




• Simon has re-taught me my love for The Goonies and Home Alone.




• Simon has taught me there is always time to be silly and fun, even when you are supposed to be serious.




• Simon has taught me to savor those big after school hugs he is just so good at giving.