Hello Beginning
When Simon finished his first horse session at RideAble today he asked me this question, "Do you think this will be a powerful memory?"
"Of course it will be." I answered as I helped him change out of his boots and back into his tennis shoes.
"Will it protect me when I encounter Dementors?"
Ah, a very specific Harry Potter reference.
What he was wondering, this awesome boy of mine, was if this memory would be powerful enough to become his patronus.
Harry Potter fans will recognize this quickly, others may need an explanation:
"This ancient and mysterious charm conjures a magical guardian, a projection of all your most positive feelings. The Patronus Charm is difficult, and many witches and wizards are unable to produce a full, corporeal Patronus, a guardian which generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity. You may suspect, but you will never truly know what form your Patronus will take until you succeed in conjuring it." (Miranda Goshawk)
An animal with whom they share the deepest affinity.
The way the Patronus charm works is that the wizard must concentrate, with all their might, on a single, very happy memory to protect themselves in the darkest moments.
What Simon was telling me, through this short conversation, was that he loved this experience.
The truth is, he didn't need to tell me.
I could see it in the way he was paying attention, in the way he was careful and kind, and in the way he smiled at me when he caught my eye.
Simon was on a horse once before if I remember correctly, many years ago down in Bandon on the Oregon coast. That horse, as Chris and my parents will remember, was named Silver. Today he met Chica and he was smitten.
We signed him up for these lessons with the hope that it would be something he could get excited about and connect with (to the horses, to the instructors, to the other students, to the experience).
Today was an awesome beginning.
Life is for living. And for making memories and learning new things and finding stuff to get excited about and sharing deepest affinities.
#gosimongo
lovely. just a lovely glimpse into something i can imagine you may have been terrified yet so excited for him to try. thanks for sharing.
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Love, love, love programs like this! So happy it went well and I love how he related it to something that is already so important to him - HP! I've also been following your blog for quite some time and this is super! This moved me to tears in seeing him triumph as you & Chris cheer him on! I'm sure you also had to be open to these new experiences so go Ali too!
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I got emotional to this post as a mother of a Autistic son myself I know they have their own special way to connect to things and
when we find them it's magical , thanks for sharing hope Ali.
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Yep, so this totally made me cry. I think it was the Harry Potter metaphor. So awesome to hear about Simon's new beginning
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This makes my heart soooooo happy. This is so wonderful. Horses bring such joy. They have been such a gift to our daughter and we now have one as a family member. Simon might like the FB page I'm a horseaddict.
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Beautiful.
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Hi Ali. So heart felt. Thank you for sharing your moments with us. Go Simon!
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What a great week of posts and enjoyment reading your blog. Of course my favorite is always your approach to Project Life. These photos (and posting) about Simon and this new experience are amazing.
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Oh man. This Harry Potter lovin' mama has tears in her eyes. So awesome.
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Totally love it Ali! I got the Harry Potter allusion immediately! Brilliant! I am so happy for Simon and I hope he's able to continue with this program for a very long time. As I mentioned, I have a cousin who has devoted his life to therapeutic riding programs and your photos make my heart swell up.
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I love everything about this. My ASD son - same age as Simon - just started reading the Harry Potter books and watching the movies about 2 months ago. He's on "Goblet of Fire" now and has really connected with the series (and I love it, too, so that doesn't hurt). The patronus thing is so cool - it shows complex thinking and making ties to real life and literature. Love it.
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Ok, that made me cry. GO SIMON GO!
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I love your Simon posts. I myself have Asperger's - or, as I prefer to say, I am an Aspergian human - so I find myself really connecting to these stories. Not only do I relate to them for myself but I know there is a good chance I may have an Aspergian/autistic child in the future, and you are a great example as a parent! =) I usually feel like I understand animals better than humans, so I'm sure Simon is loving and gaining confidence from having an animal to bond with. You both rock! =)
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Simon's question made me smile. Truly...
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As a true HP addict (the first thing I thought a few weeks ago as I walked out the door into a foggy morning: "Dementors are breeding...") this makes me so happy. I love how his brain works, and I love how your knowledge of the reference makes you understand what he is really telling you.
Thank you for sharing this story :)
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So awesome!
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This is wonderful! Very happy for You and Simon to have found something he is so passionate and excited about <3
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What a lovely post. I'm so happy for Simon and for you. I remember very clearly my first experience of riding a horse when I must have only been 6 or 7. The age is not overly important, but the feeling I felt, the complete and utter joy was. I had a biggest smile on my face, I literally couldn't stop myself from smiling. I was happy, So very happy and I fell in love straight away. When I was 9 I was given a pony and he lived until I was pregnant with my first baby 20 years later. I still miss him 12 years on. He would be my patronus for sure.
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What a sweetheart! I want to start asking myself that question whenever I notice joy and happiness in my life. Would this help me if I encountered Dementors? Because sometimes we do. And we need those good memories. :)
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I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan and I appreciate the depth of Simon's question. What a thoughtful and intelligent young man!!!
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Expecto patronum indeed. Awesome story!
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a patronus for Simon! How wonderful <3
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