Today is my cousin Jason’s birthday (for those of you who were at my wedding, he was the groomsman with severe cerebral pausy).   He’s turning 29 today - a feat that no one would have predicted back when he was younger.  Most people with severe CP rarely see the age of 20.  Jason is now one year shy of turning 30, so as you can imagine, each year at this time is a happy occurance in itself.

He and I grew up together, and was the closest-in-age cousin (that lived near us) on my mom’s side, so I feel a special closeness to him.  His mother is my Aunt Mae, mom’s baby sister, and the aunt that I get to see the most - that’s the way it’s been my whole life.  Growing up, it was always me, Mom, Aunt Mae, and Jason, going together shopping, out to eat, birthdays, everything. 

In fact, if it wasn’t for Aunt Mae and Jason, Kevin and I would have never been introduced!  Kevin has a huge heart for special needs people - so the first night he came to the church (August 28, 2005), he walked up to speak to Jason after the service and stood their chatting with Aunt Mae.  I *casually* walked over to speak to Aunt Mae and she introduced me to Kevin.  Jason took to Kevin instantly…..and for a whole year after, Jason would push me away to hug Kevin!  When Kevin was picking groomsmen, “cousin Jason” was one of the first names immediately out of his mouth.

Jason’s severe form of cerebral pausy prevents him from walking (his muscles are very stiff), talking, or doing anything more than a 1 year old can do.  He’s confined to a wheel chair (unless at home) and can say no more than a few simple words - Bama (”momma”), Bobba (”Daddy”) and the occassional surprising utterance (”I love you”).   We believe that he knows a lot more, but his motor functions restricts him from letting the outside world know what his inside world is like.   For me, having grown up with him, it’s going to be weird to watch my own child grow up and -within less than 2 years- surpass the cognitive abilities my beloved cousin does not have.  It has always been our prayer that someone would have found a cure for cerebral pausy during Jason’s lifetime - but in the meantime we love him all the same. 

In some ways, he is the best person in our family.  Jason has never offended anyone, never said anything harsh about another, doesn’t fight or bicker, and doesn’t “take sides” in family arguments that hurt us all.  He’s kind, loving, happy, and content to sit in his rocking chair watching one of his hundreds of movies from his video cabinet.  Nothing embarrasses him, rude stares don’t annoy him, and forgiveness could be his middle name.  He doesn’t care about material things and has no desire to impress people with the latest fashions. He’s always happy, and without shame, lets out a magnificent squeal when someone he loves comes near.  The love he feels for people is pure - and the excitement he has in seeing them once more is undetered by typical adult restraints.

I wish more people could be like him in character traits.

So anyway…today is his 29th birthday.    For every year of my life, we have been with Jason and his family on his birthday - and since Kevin has been around, he has joined us as well.  Normally we have his birthday celebrations at his house, but today, for the first time, we’re going out to celebrate.   Aunt Mae has discovered that Jason now enjoys - and will sit through - a real movie at a movie theater, so a month ago she promised him she would bring him to a movie for his birthday.   And that’s where we’re all going this afternoon.   It will be my dad’s first trip to a movie theater in 13 years, and my mom’s second.  They don’t go to theaters (not because of some conviction or anything…..they simply don’t care to spend the money), but they’ll do anything for Jason.

We’ll be seeing Alvin and the Chipmunks movie - so I’m a little excited about that.  The Chipmunks were one of my favorite childhood things so I hope this new movie lives up to 1980’s counterpart. 

And for Jason’s sake, I hope it’s the funniest, best movie in the world!

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