Flower Origami

Tommy becomes obsessed with different things every couple of months.

For instance, back in September he focused on anything Mario.

Before that it was Legos.

Now it’s Origami.

It could be because of his Aspergers. But then again, I remember being obsessed with various things growing up and then moving on.

Like my love for Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block.

And then I moved on to Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone (what? He has pretty blue eyes..)

Tommy got an Origami book for Christmas and he’s been working hard on figuring it out. There were some tears, when he couldn’t fold the paper the right way. Tommy likes to do everything perfect the first time and gets frustrated when it doesn’t happen.

“Just don’t get mad. Take deep breaths and try again,” I always instruct.

“Sometimes Origami makes me so mad!” Tommy shouted, which is something I didn’t expect to come from a nine-year-olds mouth since most of them seem to be focused on video games and texting. (Seriously. So many nine-year-olds these days have PHONES!)

At one point he gave up and placed a pillow over the Origami book.

“I’m done with this!” he yelled.

I pulled the Origami book out. “Keep trying.”

I went to fold laundry and prepared to hear more shouting from Tommy. Instead if fell silent—well, it wasn’t completely silent. There is a four-year-old in the house, after all. But there were no more protests.

“Mommy!” Tommy said. He rushed in the room and was holding something. “Look! I did it. I made a flower.”

He held it up.

“It’s beautiful,” I said. I mean, I couldn’t do something like that.

“It’s for you.” Tommy held it out for me. “And when I get married, maybe I’ll make one for my wife, too. If she makes me pancakes.”

I smiled as I took the flower. There are hard days with Tommy but days like that made it all worthwhile.

Maybe down the line Tommy will have a wife (who makes him pancakes) and he’ll give a flower to her.

But for now, I proudly have mine displayed.

He's a great kid.