A First Time For Everything.

Things are a little sad around here today. Something that I have feared for over 22 years has finally happened.

When Shawn was very young he went to the Tri-Cities' Developmental Center.

He loved going and they loved having him go and everyone was happy with the wonderful arrangement. All the teachers and helpers there LOVED my Shawn.

He was also quite popular with all of the other children too.

All through school Shawn was well loved. That was such a relief for me because I had worried so much about people picking on him, you know, calling him a Retard or a Freak or some other horrible name.

Those worries of mine never really materialized though.

Sure over his long and happy School career, there were times when someone would try to be mean to him, but woe to that person. They soon found out just how many defenders Shawn had.

Well this is my sweet boys' second full year of NO school. It's been hard for him to not have his week filled with the constant activity and socialization that was school.

He has happily found a place at the ARC of the Tri-Cities. A worthy organization if ever there was one.

Most Tuesdays and Thursdays Shawn can be found doing all kinds of fun activities around the Tri-Cities with his ARK buddies and their activity leader Amanda.

Today was the whole group day, where they stayed at the ARK building and watched movies, had popcorn and basically just hung out and visited with each other.

A happy day for Shawn indeed.

So you may be thinking what is wrong?

Well I will tell you.

For those of my readers who are LDS like me, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. For my non LDS readers I'll try to make it clear for you as well.

In our Church, when you graduate from High School, there is a Social Group called young Adults. Now young men in our Church usually go on their Missions at Nineteen, but not all of them. For the kids who aren't away at College, or on a Mission, or are back from a Mission, there is the Young Adult Program.

When I was young and single I thoroughly enjoyed my young adult group. My cousin Debbie and I who are the same age went together and we had so much fun.

I met my husband Don through Young Adults by the way.

Now as fun as it can all be there is also learning involved.

Once a week there is an evening called Institute. All of the young adults, well, ideally, all of them, attend Institute where they learn more about the scriptures or Church history.

Things like that.

Shawn had never attended Institute before. There wasn't really anyone to take him, or to be his friend when he got there.

This last December, a jewel of a girl named Xiomara, See-oh-mara, or just See-oh for short was home from college. Xio had been a member of the Buddy Club while Shawn was in High School.

The Buddy Club is yet another opportunity the ARK has made possible for regular High School kids to get to know and befriend the disabled kids at their High Schools. Xiomara had been the President of Kennewick High's buddy club her last two years of school. Plus she and Shawn knew each other from Church.

She happened to see Shawn one Sunday at church .
She asked him if he would like to attend Institute with her the next Tuesday.

Boy did he ever.

Shawn went with her for all of the weeks she was home during her winter college break.

He LOVED going.

I asked him if he knew anyone there. Sadly he didn't. Only Xio.

Well, it was a sad time at the Sorensons the week she had to leave and go back to Idaho for school.

For the next month Shawn would ask me on Monday and then several times on Tuesday if he was going to attend Institute that night. I told him "no, I don't think so."

I had really hoped that while he was there those few weeks that someone other than Xio would get to know him and that he could be pulled into the group and find a whole new group of friends.

This was not to happen.

Xio told me that sadly they were a pretty cliquish group. They weren't really friendly to anyone that they didn't already know.

A few weeks ago, my cousin Debbie, the very same cousin whom I had attended Young Adults with, came to mind.

Well more like her darling daughter Aubrey came to mind.

Aubrey has moved here to the Tri-Cities recently. She's been here a few months. Shawn adores Aubrey.

She is just as golden a person as Xio is.

I talked to her and she was more than happy to come pick Shawn up and take him to Instuitute with her every Tuesday.

So for the last four Tuesdays Shawn has again been able to attend Institute once more
.
Here is where it gets so sad.

Debbie called me today to tell me that Aubrey's hours at work have been changed, and that she will no longer have Tuesday nights off.

I guess it's pretty obvious what that means for Shawn.

No more Institute.

I had asked Aubrey the same thing as I had asked Xio. To try to help him get to know people there so that he might have other friends that could pick him up and take him so he can go and have at least one friend there every Tuesday. Sadly Aubrey told me that it was the same situation. That they were not friendly. That no one there had any interest in Shawn or in being his friend.

I'm a bit heartbroken over this.

The moment that I have worried about his entire life has come.

Here he has an activity he wants to do.

A good, worthwhile, activity.

And he can't because nobody there is willing to take an interest in him and be his friend.

I'm also sad for those young people.

If they would give him a chance they would see what everyone else has always known. And that is that Shawn is one incredible guy. If you are Shawn's friend then you are a friend for life.

Shawn has such a huge reservoir of love that he just pours out love for anyone who has ever been his friend.

So I am doubly sad that these people are missing out on getting to know one of the sweetest, friendliest, happiest and most loyal people they could ever have in their lives.

Please help us by saying your prayers for Shawn.

That hopefully, someone will come along, that can be his new friend and take him to Institute every Tuesday, and maybe, find in him such a friend, that they will even be happy to hang out with him at other times. After all, seven days is a long time when you only have companionship a few of those days.

One more thing.

If you don't live anywhere around me, then consider finding a Shawn of your own. A disabled person who could really use a friend. There are more of them than you would think. And they are in every community.

Hopefully we will meet another angel like Aubrey and Xio, who can see just what a funny, sincere, sweet guy my Mr Shawn really is.

Until then Shawn will wait by the window every Tuesday night wishing for someone to come and pick him up, and take him to Institute.


Update: Well, actually a little more information.
My husband Don, has already called two of the leaders in charge of Young Adults. That was over a month ago and we have never heard anything from either of them. I am really tempted to go there one Tuesday night, without Shawn, and explain to them all just how much Shawn is being hurt by their narrow minds. The only thing is I'm afraid that if it didn't make any difference , that I would really be angry and bitter.