Stories of Wil: A good party never ends
Wil Taylor gets down with his friends at Lila’s Bat Mitzvah.
Submitted by Christie Taylor
Wil is a 13-year-old boy with Down syndrome. He is the little brother, by 20 months, to twin sisters, Katherine and Elizabeth. Wil’s mom, Christie, knew very little about Down syndrome when Wil was diagnosed shortly after his birth. It didn’t take long for Christie to realize how enriching life with Down syndrome is. Embracing this newfound life, Christie was compelled to share her experiences with Wil. Christie’s desire, in sharing these stories, is to promote an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the amazing capabilities of individuals with Down syndrome.
It was nine in the morning and Wil was jamming to country singer, Luke Bryan. This was not unusual. The fact that it was that late in the morning was unusual.
The previous night, Wil, his sisters and I went to a Bat Mitzvah. The 13-year-old girl of honor, Lila Harvey, is a best friend of Wil’s and is also in his 7th grade class at Manchester Middle School.
Rebecca Harvey, Lila’s mother, had called me prior to the celebration to ask if Wil would prefer to sit with his sisters and me, or at the table with his friends. Rebecca knows that when the environment is large with sudden, loud noises, such as at a pep rally at school, Wil can easily go into sensory overload. He often refuses to enter the room, even wearing noise-cancelling headphones.
Rebecca and I both suspected, however, that when Wil saw Lila, Ashley Bobo, Sarah Stommen and Seeger DuRussel, his closest 7th grade friends, at the Bat Mitzvah, he’d want to sit with them. We decided that Wil would sit with his friends, and his sisters and I would be at a neighboring table.
When we arrived at the Bat Mitzvah, sure enough, Wil immediately saw his friends and ran off with them. Though music was playing, he ran in without the slightest hesitation. No ear-cancelling headphones needed. When it was time to eat, Wil sat down at the table with his friends and looked around like he was sitting with royalty. And he was. Lila, Ashley, Sarah and Seeger are friends of gold.
The only time I walked over to his table was when the chicken was served. He’d need some help cutting it, and I asked Seeger, who was seated next to him, if she’d help him cut his chicken, or if she preferred I do it. Seeger immediately told me she had it covered. The only time I saw discomfort in Wil at the table was when the DJ stopped playing music and made the announcements of the celebration. The noise of the microphone made Wil uncomfortable and he ducked his head. He was holding strong though, because he loved being at that table. I made sure I didn’t give his discomfort any attention.
When the announcements were over and the music played again, Wil lifted his head and got back to enjoying time with his friends. When the dancing started, Wil and his friends barely left the dance floor. It filled my heart to see the kids together, having the time of their lives. All as one. The dance floor is common ground.
As Wil gets older, the gap between his and his typical peers’ abilities grows. I’m always seeking a common ground where Wil and his peers can come together as one. Unlike a middle ground, that implies someone must step down, I view a common ground as a place where we all step up. We step up and meet each other at a higher understanding.
When Rebecca requested the DJ play one of her and Wil’s favorite songs, “Knockin’ Boots” by Luke Bryan, Wil cut up the dance floor like no one was watching.
Eventually, Wil showed signs of slowing down. As we said our good-byes and thanked the Harvey family, Rebecca said, “Wil is going to sleep well tonight.”
And he did. But as soon as he woke, Wil started the party back up again on his CD player with “Knockin’ Boots.” A good party never ends.
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