I keep watching this… (video)


May 14, 2018| Jason Michael Reynolds|3 Minutes
May 14, 2018|By Jason Michael Reynolds|3 Minutes

I keep watching this… (video)



I keep watching this clip over and over again. I can’t figure out why.

It’s just a trip to the grocery store. Jonah barely fits in the shopping cart (trolley) now. Jonny is DEFINITELY too big but somehow folded himself in just to sit with his brother.

When Jonny used to talk to Jonah, a little over a year ago… Jonah barely acknowledged his brother at all.

Jonny used to ask me, “What’s Jojobee saying?”

I would have to “do my best” at interpreting Jonah’s non-verbal cues so Jonny could respond to his brother.

Jonny used to get so frustrated that Jonah wouldn’t respond, he would BEG me to know what Jonah was “saying.”

So, rather than admit that “I don’t know what he’s saying,” I would make things up for Jonny.

“Oh, he said ‘Hi brudder! How was your day?’”

Or..

“I AM happy to see you, brudder, but I just want my space right now.”

I was always the communication mediary between brothers.

Quite honestly, I didn’t know if that would ever change.

But over the last year, that HAS changed. It changes a little bit more each day.

One day, Jonah will be peeking under Jonny’s bedroom door to see if he is there to play. Another day, Jonny will be racing Jonah down the slide of a bouncy house.

Jonny has learned to enter Jonah’s world and is able to communicate with him in his own way.

He finds common ways they can BOTH have fun together. Whether it’s repeating a silly phrase, or throwing a ball at each other, their playing has gone from “parallel” to interactive.

Im seeing Jonah actually WANTING to play with his brother… not just BESIDE him.

Do you know how HUGE that is?

If Jonny goes to play outside, Jonah will cry at the window until HE can go outside with his brother too.

And he hasn’t tried to elope ONCE when he goes out. He would rather hang out with his brother than elope…

I can’t even… how did that?”

I think that’s why I keep watching this video.

You can almost SEE the bond they have made with each other here.

I honestly don’t remember the last time Jonny asked me “what’s Jojobee saying?”

And that warms my heart.



Original Facebook Post.