Tommy's School Bus: Much Love

I will never forget the first day, of seeing Tommy go off to school. All of us were apprehensive, as that bus rounded the corner, but "Porky" was ready to roll. He had a wonderful bus driver, and a kind assistant who reassured us, as all members of our brood was there on that warm autumn day. Even the dog. It was hard to believe that our Tommy, was going to get Early Intervention Services at a local school's preschool program, that worked with children with special needs. Tommy's diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome, which was caused by a deletion of chromosome 15, didn't stop him from the excitement of getting on that bus every morning. He would beam a huge smile when it came up, and he loved to go up on the ramp. It was fun to watch him going up in his wheelchair on that, and just see the joy. It was a little less fun, when the moving ramp didn't work, but that was a shared joke that we had with the bus drivers and assistants. There were a few times, that Tommy had to be brought by car to school, due to something in the lift's mechanism from acting up.

These bus drivers and their staff were so kind. If Tommy was sick at school, they would always bring his wheelchair back to us. Working in an area where he was, I often saw these drivers, and they all became family, just like the school. I think about my son a lot, as these memories provide solace, due to him going to God far too soon in 2009. Sometimes I still see the same one that he used to ride. Its a mix of emotion, although I take it as a good sign. It falls a lot into that Clint Black song "State of Mind's" lyrics of "Aint it Funny how a melody can bring back a memory." So very true. The other day I was walking in a school building, and saw this Thomas front. It was impossible not to stand by it, look at it, even touch it. I felt compelled to take a photograph of it, and while he is deeply missed, the joy of him going to school provided a lot of comfort by seeing this.