“It was a good day,” Super Dad declared as we strolled back to our car after the local firework display.

Around this place, that’s quite an accomplishment. And with the excitement of a bonafide holiday thrown in…it’s a rare accomplishment for sure.

And the day was quite long. We awoke at 4:30 am to prepare for our pre-dawn trek to downtown Atlanta. Yes, we were headed for the Peachtree Road Race, with about 60,000 of our closest friends. Super Dad and I, and for the first time, Kay, took to the streets for this 10K. Super Dad ran the race like you’re supposed to. Kay and I did much more walking than running and also found time to notice all the bands, sweet little kids, and cute dogs along the race route.

Back at the ranch, W, our college-aged daughter, agreed to spend the night and stay with LuLu. It was a gracious (and much appreciated offer), as until a couple of years ago I would never have dared to figure out how I could have left LuLu and joined Super Dad in this Atlanta tradition.

After a lengthy nap (and LuLu “patiently” allowing all of us to snooze), we joined friends for a dinner at our favorite BBQ place then headed to the downtown area of our small-town-swallowed-by-suburban-sprawl for the firework display. There we ran into numerous friends and neighbors, including a girl in our church who has struggled long and hard with her leukemia battle, but is now heading into her last round of chemo and so far is cancer free! It was an answer to prayer to see her there, and Kay and the other high school girls quickly planned an impromptu slumber party to celebrate!

LuLu had several opportunities to disintegrate, but she didn’t. One was over the lack of face painting in the kids’ area. There usually are face painters; one of her favorite treats. But the best we could ferret out were glow-in-the-dark tattoos. Yet, she handled it well.

Then came time for the fireworks…the moment of truth for every 4th of July celebration. There have been many years where one of us has not made it through the fireworks viewing with LuLu…the noise was just too overwhelming. We’ve tried a variety of scenarios…the usual ear plug or moving away from the area…but for many years the fireworks were not part of LuLu’s celebration.

This year, fingers in her ears, she made it through. She even “oohed” and “aahhed” quite a bit. And as I glanced through the crowd, I saw other children, even some her same age, who were covering their ears and reacting to the firework noise. But I observed that their parents were not holding their ears or responding negatively. I saw no adults crying, screaming, hiding and asking to leave as the show began. And that gave me hope. Hope that as she ages, her body would help her by perhaps lessening the impact of the noise or allowing her to utilize the calming tools she has been taught repeatedly.

All in all, it was a “good day”, just like Super Dad said. And these nearly normal days are sometimes so elusive. Yet, when you actually have one, it’s good to reflect just how marvelous “normal” is.

Happy Independence Day to you all!

Auditory sensitivity can be associated with sensory integration dysfunction, but not always. However, giving your child enough latitude to decide whether to stay and watch or leave, or whether or not to wear earplugs, is so important. This allows the child to learn problem-solving skills for a variety of situations, so if their auditory defensiveness doesn't resolve, then at least the child has coping skills.

Photo Credit: Julie Beem