What were you doing in your life when you turned 20?

I was living in Baltimore – a junior at Goucher College, studying art. I was trying to balance keeping up with my studies while enjoying every ounce of social time that I could. Dan was a student at Johns Hopkins and studying in Florence for the year. He was learning a new language and traveling throughout Europe with a very thin wallet and a EuroRail Pass.

When we started our family and I would dare to think about the future, like most parents, I imagined our children following a similar path to what Dan and I took. I didn’t think of if Jack and Anna would go to college, but where they would go. Whether they would study art or a language or the law. I hoped they would make good choices and stay out of too much trouble.

Having a special child, you need to learn how to shift your expectations and letting go of the college dream for Jack is something I did long ago, but with each birthday I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pause for a moment and think if only . . .

Instead of college, Jack greeted his 20th birthday still attending his high school and living at home. He requires assistance with everything from eating to showering to getting dressed to toileting to getting into bed. It’s not the life I ever imagined for our son, but as I celebrated his 20th birthday with him, all I kept thinking was how happy he is.

Jack partied all weekend long! Pool time with his buddies Peter and Orla, a party on our deck with close friends, and he even got to spend time with his oldest friend, Caleb. Today the party continued as he celebrated with his buddies at school. As I watched him enjoy all the attention, I realized there’s no need for if only just WOW! What a great life our boy is living!

Life at 20 can vary. It’s that age that straddles the end of childhood and beginning of adulthood. One thing that most people have in common at that age is that everything seems possible. Jack’s life is different than most, but I still believe that anything is possible. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKO!!

Love, Jess