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brooksea

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Our son is taking piano lessons from a retired educator and concert pianist. She lives down the street. He initiated these lessons on his own. He has always loved music, although he cannot carry a "complete" tune, he has a good ear! He has advanced to the next level of learning ahead of his peers and has told me piano is all he thinks about now, even while at school. He wants a piano for Christmas (he has an electronic keyboard for practice)!

Now, his piano teacher has called me to ask if it is OK for him to go to her church, as they have a great youth program and the ministers are required to have a degree in counseling, which might be helpful for my son. She had a child leaving as my son was arriving for lesson that goes to her church and he invited him (I guess the teacher and child must have spoken about seeing each other at church in his presence). He needs this and it will be another outlet for him.

The friends and family you think will step up and help your child take his/her mind off ALS may be absent, but maybe an Angel will step in... and when a note is played, they will earn their wings!
 
Some good news for you CJ--that's great. When I was a kid, things weren't so good at home and church was my outlet and kept me sane. The piano teacher is a gift!
Laurel
 
CJ that's awesome...an outlet for him that gives the two of you a break from each other too...which at his age is also important. Very very cool
 
CJ, what a kind person she is!I think it's a great idea. Church groups are so much fun and lifelong friends are made. Our church goes up to retreats and has something going on every weekend. People donate dinners for the kids too to make it more fun.
Don't count on family. We gave up on ours with our 12 year old. We practically begged them to include her. She was diagnosed with severe scoliosis and was wearing a brace. She was depressed and miserable and needed family support. . We asked if she was a problem, you never know how they are with others. She is fine with us. They said no problem at all, she is always helpful and respectful. Yet every Saturday her little cousins came to my SIL house which is less than a mile from ours. My girl would call and text and no one would answer. She would cry for hours. Broke my heart. Finally she gave up.
So, I count on no one.
 
Echoes of my childhood! I am so very happy for you and your son, this will be quite a boon to have peers as well as adults who will be watching out for him, and you too.
 
I, too, have found that his family is less than helpful. My boss, however, is helping to the point of my not being able to get any work done! She worked with my darling for decades and has put together a spreadsheet for people to sign up to take him to lunch on Tuesdays, the day I can't make it home for him. She has 4 people at a time, since he can't talk anymore. So they pick him up at home and all go to Gluten Free restaurants and entertain him and talk about days gone by. It's quite wonderful and I'm very grateful. Now stop including me in the 12 emails a day, please! :razz:
 
Now that's a good-news story! Sounds full of hope for your young man.
 
This is a great idea CJ, thanks for sharing it with others who have kids. I loved playing classical guitar when I was 8 yrs old. My mom took me to a Carlos Montoya flamenco concert and I was hooked from then on. We were pretty poor but my mom got me lessons and a guitar, a good one, and I just fell in love with it. I played for 10 years taking lessons by a student of Segovia. I cant play anymore do to weakness in hands, but I still love to listen to classical guitar.
 
My daughter loves her youth group, and it's been wonderful for all the kids in it... They raise money throughout the year to help fund their yearly Mission Trip, which is a week of work and fun they do every year. This will be her last year of the Mission Trip as she's graduating high school, and won't be able to attend as an "adult" until she's 21 I think.

One of the fundraisers they have is a "Rave" at the church... the first one they had was a hard sell.... "you want me to go to a Rave at a CHURCH?" They had a blast, no alcohol allowed, and they raised alot of money for their trip. This year's Rave sold out within a couple of days, and kids were hounding my daughter for the last 2 tickets!

They've gone on mission trips to NY, DC, and Chicago, and will go back to NYC again this year. Previous trips have included New Orleans, and helping build houses in Maine.

IT's a great thing to be included.
 
This piano teacher is truly a godsend! Our son went to church with her this past Sunday and then her and her husband took him to lunch. She is trying to arrange for someone to pick him up on Wednesdays for the kids program.

In the meantime, another neighbor is taking him to their church on Tuesday evenings. He plays with their disabled grandson and has been so kind to the little guy. They are glad to have our son around, as their grandson hasn't anyone else to play with.

I am very proud of our son. He is the one that took initiative, making this all happen and I am happy for him.
 
CJ, you give that boy of your a big hug from me! What a great kid.
 
Oh I am so happy for him and you, I know how worried you have been about him:)
 
Good news CJ, happy for you and your son
Tom
 
Good stuff...people will definitely suprise you, of course the kindness your son is showing is no suprise!
 
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