I fell in love with Riley's occupational therapist the second I laid eyes on him. First of all, he's gorgeous. Blond hair. Hazel eyes.
But it's the way he motivates her that charms me. She'll do things for him she would never do for me. The day he convinced her to climb the steps to a big metal slide was astounding. As I watched her go down I stood there wondering, How'd he do that?
Part of it is the fact that he makes therapy fun. She laughs as he works on her proprioception, rolling her across a trampoline like a log, giving her input as to where her body is in space.
He works on increasing her grip strength by holding toys in his hands and getting her to pull them away from him.
He challenges her depth perception by taking her outside and encouraging her to walk down a big grassy hill sideways. She follows everything he does.
Today he used a hula-hoop. Together they got in the middle of it, and then he turned away from her and started to walk. The hoop was around her back and she had to follow him as he increased and decreased his speed. This was great fun and also helped her work on balance and movement.
After that, he told her to turn around and they both walked in place, in opposite directions, hoop to stomachs. They had to kind of balance there in space in order to not topple over. Riley laughed the whole time. Later, there was more grip work as she held the hoop and he tried repeatedly to pull it from her.
Our insurance company refuses to cover Riley's occupational therapy, but luckily this guy is cheap. True, he sometimes shows up wearing nothing but his Wiggles underpants, but for all he does for her, we let that slide.
His name is Seth O'Neil and he's worth every dime we're paying him.
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14 comments:
OK - That was SO funny! You totally had me believing that he was a professional guy you were paying. I had to read the "Wiggles underpants" line three times before I got it. :) Hope there's something nice for Seth under the tree this year!
You had me very worried when you mentioned the Wiggles underpants . . . I toally didn't see that coming!
Like the others, I didn't see that coming at all. Wonderful, wonderful piece.
Curses to the insurance company for denying your darling girl anything she needs.
Kisses to Seth and Riley and you and Todd for finding such humor and grace in this path you're on, and for sharing it with us.
Re-reading this, just had to leave one more note on how much I loved it. So, so, SO well done, Michelle, my love.
You are hysterical!
Here is how dumb I am: I thought he was a real profession grown-up. Even when you said that about the Wiggles underpants! LOL! I just thought, "well. Okay."
:)
That is awesome - what a gem you've found. It's nice that something she needs is also so much fun for her!
Hi Michelle, It took me a while....... but that's so true in our family too, it's James' little brother Matthew who helps him so much, he explains to him how friendships work - how you just sometimes have to let things go. He jumps on him, hugs him, looks up to him, all the things he doesn't take easily from other people, especially his parents. James is lucky to have Matthew. Sounds like Riley is lucky to have Seth.
Written like a consumate professional. I didn't see it at all until the very end.
Really well done.
Ok, I had to re-read after all the comments. It was lovely the first time around. Then I got it. Now it's a love letter. Beautiful.
I got suspicious with the blond hair and hazel eyes, but then you totally had me, until the underwear. You, Michelle, are as fine a writer as you are a mother. And that is saying something!
AW! that is super-sweet. what a great bro, and so nice that you can appreciate him in that way.
i got nervous for a second envisioning an adult in wiggles underpants.
great piece!
I thought it might be Hot Toddy- until the underwear remark.....although one never knows!
This reminds me of me and my older sister, who did much much more to help me overcome my limitations than just about anybody.
Then she grew up and wanted to do something to help people modify and master their environments.
She didn't have a name for this, but when she came across this thing called Occupational Therapy at the end of her undergraduate degree, she knew that was it.
So now she's an Occupational Therapist, driving around in a her little yellow car visiting people in their homes and getting them all sorted out.
I always say it's because of growing up with me, which she flatly denies, but who knows, maybe those siblings choose us because they know they can help??
Marvelous in any case.
Bless you all this Christmas, Michelle.
Love Xanthe xoxoxo
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