In this space, I try to find the words to explain what it’s like.

It can seem like such a tiny thing, really. Nothing to add to a Christmas Card.

A flash of knowing, a smiling pause.

What it’s like, for example, to watch my 24-year-old son easily accept the pulse oximeter on his index finger from a new nurse at a new doctor’s office but then watch him become confused when she steps away for too long.

What it’s like to see how he reaches out his hand to her, stretching from his chair, trying to get her attention to remind her that this thing is still clamped on his finger, and when she doesn’t see him, what it’s like to hear him speak a single word that he has remembered — a word he’s heard his parents or providers use when he needs a sensory reset and they squeeze the tips of his fingers.

I don’t always know how to explain how surprising and refreshing it can be to watch my son find the words.

The nurse didn’t hear him say, “Pressure!” but I did, and it was a gift.

--

Please go to https://itslikethis.substack.com/p/42-small-words for the full transcript.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit itslikethis.substack.com