Little Heroes

So I was quizzing N the other night on his times tables.  My other son has them down pretty good, but N needs work.  Their school requires 48 correct in 5 minutes in order to go on to the next level.  N has been stuck on the threes for the past two weeks because he can't write them down fast enough to finish all 48.

"3 x 12 is..." I say, prompting an answer.
"3 x 12 is...hard," he says back.

I laugh a little.  Such an honest answer! 

Then it gets me thinking.  I think that if I had to go through a day where 98% of my day were difficult demands, I would have a nervous breakdown sooner or later.

But yet, here N was, trying his hardest to fit into our world where for him, there is always too much noise, too much talking, too much of a lot of things for him to bear.  He dutifully spends two plus hours doing his homework every night.  He tries to listen when we instruct him to stop talking to himself and then instruct him on how to talk.  Instead of anger, he is always quick to forgive me when I yell.  I apologize and he instantly responds "that's O.K."  He loves his brother to death, unwilling to lay down the Skip A Turn card in Uno because he does not want his brother to lose a turn.

I had forgotten how much love N has or how hard he works in our quest for him to be "typical."  He is just a wonderful little boy.   

I think I have a new hero.