The Gift

Back when I was working home care one of my clients was a little 10 month old baby boy named Sam. He had just been diagnosed with a rare condition, with a long fancy name that meant he was normal except for one thing. There was no separation between the left and right frontal lobe. The parents were advised to put him in an institution because he would be retarded and helpless. Well the parents hired  the company I worked for and because I had experience with children with medical and mental problems  I was chosen to be his primary caregiver.
I had Sam for four years and in that time I realized that in that child's head shining through those big brown eyes was a bright child with a great sense of humor. Yes he could not move much could not sit by himself, had to be fed,  every move that was needed  to position him was done by someone else, namely me or his dad.
It was a constant job, but was so rewarding, I even took him home for week ends so his parents could spend time with the other child. Sam and I were buddies.My grand children treated him like one of our family, which in a way he was. Then the day came when two things happened , the doctors said I could not work anymore and Sam's family moved away. They asked me to move with them but I could not, I was  not in any physical shape to care for Sam anymore. So October 31st 2001 was the last time I saw him, he was gone from my life as I was from his. 
Yesterday I was looking on line at an online rummage sale site and I recognized a name, it was an aunt of Sam's. On a whim I went to her FB page and was looking at pictures and there was Sam, Still in a special wheelchair, still can not sit by himself, but the smile on his face  filled my heart with joy. Sam was alive, Sam was happy, I then messaged his aunt and explained about Sam and I and said I did not mean to snoop or be rude by looking at her page. She answered back and told me how Sam was doing and she was so happy that he was remembered after these years.
The truth is, we are blessed with so much that we do not realize , even if the blessing is mixed in pain, and parts of your life that has ended and new things begin. I know that there is nothing in this world that could have made me happier yesterday than seeing Sam.