These were LuLu’s first words Sunday morning as she bound out of bed on the long-awaited day. LuLu had set and reached a personal goal: to sing with the children’s choir on Palm Sunday. LuLu, who for years has not participated in children’s choir because the children make “unexpected noise” that overwhelms her senses and her behaviors have always alienated her from interacting with the other children, watched with great envy as the choir sang at Christmas.

“I wish I could do that,” she sighed. I told her I thought she was able, if she wanted. But that she had to go to Wednesday night practices and do what the choir teacher said. So, we devised a plan that she would wear ear plugs during the practices, that she would work hard to do what the choir director said, and that if she felt herself becoming overwhelmed, she would quietly leave the practice and come to me in the fellowship hall. The choir director was on board, so in January, LuLu began going to practice, and she’s missed only one since then.

So, Sunday, she was in the processional with all the other children, waving a palm branch and taking her place on the risers at the front of the church to sing. Now, LuLu’s language processing issues keep her from being able to sing all the words, but she has remarkable pitch and lots of enthusiasm. It’s just that her brain/mouth don’t work fast enough to get all the words out. (She can tell you what the song’s about, but can’t sing all the words.)

After the children sang the opening song, they stayed up there to help the choir director lead our praise music, complete with the band accompanying them. LuLu especially enjoyed this part and took the opportunity to “boogie” a bit, nearly slapping one of the praise leaders in the face with her palm branch.

The real test came during the older children’s confirmation. Palm Sunday is also Confirmation Sunday at our church and several of the middle school children were being confirmed. As these children and their parents lined the front of the church, the younger children were asked to sit on the risers so they could sing again afterward. I had no idea they were going to be front and center for so long, and worried about how LuLu would handle this.

She did fine…until the pastor was handing out wooden crosses to each of the confirmands. LuLu wanted one. The pastor told her politely that they would talk later. But LuLu doesn’t understand niceties. “No” has to be said as “No”. So I started to worry, watching LuLu battle her own impulsivity to reach up and snatch a cross out of one of these kids’ hands. At one point during her mental battle, she glanced back at me. I was vigorously shaking my head. She nodded that she understood and settled back down in her seat.

I had a hard time not leaping to my feet and shouting a praise right there and then. Resisting her impulse at that moment was huge for her!

LuLu was incredibly proud of herself. So many in our church family noticed how well she did that I’m still hearing from our friends on how well she did.

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