Twenty Days of Comfort: Day 17, "Steps"

The idea of Jordan walking on his own was a risk. Joshua had figured it out at fifteen months of age, but as Jordan was reaching the eighteen-month milestone, he was content to cruise around using the furniture in our St. Charles, Missouri home. The overwhelming majority of boys with X-linked myotubular myopathy never walk. So we understood that going in.

Then, on October 8, 2008, Jordan, for some inexplicable reason, let go of a chair near the kitchen wall and began tottering toward Christy and I as we were making dinner. What followed was pure joy, through Jordan's eyes and ours.

Steps

The greatest gifts are unexpected,

The intercepts of time and space.

In life's arena, I'm determined

To seek this avenue of grace.

Tottering, I let go of the chair;

Turning, my hip rotates about.

I swing my leg and I forward march

And my work vaporizes doubt.

I set my feet to rhythm softly;

Pattering, I cover this ground,

And both my parents smile broadly

As I make steps with muted sound.

The greatest gifts are unexpected,

The intercepts of time and space.

In life's arena, I'm determined

To seek this avenue of grace.

The numbered steps come to twenty-nine;

A cheer breaks forth from happy home!

But I'll be planning for future time:

The record's falling--It will come!

And thus, when bath is done, I'm walking:

From my room to Daddy's will it be.

No stumbles, totters, spills, or fumbles

And my steps number forty-three!

Joy and happiness roll on!

I've crossed another Rubicon!

The greatest gifts are unexpected,

The intercepts of time and space.

In life's arena, I'm determined

To seek this avenue of grace.