Life with Isaac Part 3

No television. I never thought two words could be so revolutionary. But in America, television is a way of life, it is a necessity, it is like food and water. People can't picture life without a television. I hear things like, "NO TELEVISION, well what do you do then?!" I must admit that at first it was a bit tough, I really like the show 24, and PBS's Saturday morning cooking shows. (I am a dork)

We started to notice that TV had a negative influence on Isaac, not in the crazy sheltered Baptist kind of way, but in the background noise was too much for his Sensory Integration Dysfunction to handle. He would start to get really "floppy" and rag-dollish, and trip over lots of things, and not have a good focus. The background noise of a television made it so that he could not focus on things like walking, eating, drinking, playing, and other normal functions very well. It is like two people trying to have two different conversations with you at the same time.

Our entertainment center is now filled with games, blankets, craft things, and a laptop for the occasional sesame street DVD for Isaac when he wants some sit down time. We have adapted to this new way of, life well. The only trouble is when we go to other people's houses who have television on, Isaac gets floppy and disoriented, and people just don't understand why something as normal and common place as a television could have this effect on him. I find that when I go over a house with the television on, I am now finding it hard to focus and concentrate too. It is loud, and I get headaches, and I can't focus.

I don't think that television is evil, or even wrong. I think that it can be an addiction like alcohol or caffeine, or sugar. But life has been really good with this change, a change that I may not have considered if Isaac had been born "normal" and not "handicapped" by this worlds standards. I find that I have no time for television even if we had one, we are too busy playing and reading and eating dinner as a family and talking and having relationship that I think many people use TV as an easy substitute for relationship.

Relationship takes work and let's face it sometimes it can be easier to sit down and stare at a box that will entertain us and call it family time that interact. Sometimes I find myself thinking, "I am really tired today, maybe I can pop in a DVD for Isaac and just sit together." Sometimes we do that, and sometimes I make myself get up off the couch and get onto the floor and play and interact with my boys. I am finding that the latter is more rewarding as a family, and in the end I never regret it, no matter how tired I am.

My brother and sister in-law bought us a frame with a saying on it that was so appropriate for life, and is becoming more and more my motto for living, "Everyday is a Gift." Everyday with each other is a gift, every breath is a gift, every second on the floor playing with my boys is a gift. At any time, God may call Isaac, Nolan, Kara, or myself home to be with Himself, so I must cherish the time that I do have now.

We almost lost Isaac a handful of times in his lifetime, when that happens, it tends to put things in perspective, the challenging part is keeping that perspective fresh and a way of living, and not sitting wasting life and precious time with each other by not treating each second as a gift. I pray a prayer every day to help keep this perspective, "God thank you for the time I have had so far with ________ (insert family member name here). I know that you could take them home today, so thank you for the time that we have had, help us to cherish it."