Love of music!

Throughout the day yesterday, Aditya delighted in figuring out and playing on his guitar the kind of Hindi songs that his dad loves to listen to, sing, and play! 

(If you know Hindi songs... here is what he was playing:
Hum Tum Se Mile (Rocky), Pyar Humein (Satte Pe Satta), Pehle Pehle Pyar Ki (Great Gambler), Jo Haal Dil Ka (Sarfarosh), Tune Mujhe Pehchana Nahi (Raju Chacha), etc. )

Two years ago, we started bonding over music, cricket, soccer, and a host of other games!

Three years ago, we were not even playing tic-tac-toe together.   When we did, it had to be with light bulbs and fans, or tapes and CD's so he could stay "interested" in playing it.

Four years ago, we joined him where he was, and played "draw the microwave" with him.  It took 30 microwave ovens for the genius in him to be convinced that it was a perfect design.  We had then added a bowl of soup to the microwave.  He had gladly approved!

Five or six years ago, we were told by experts that he had autism, and life would never be the same for us! 

They said he was relatively high functioning, so he could have a bright future.  But by bright future they meant doing what he could do within the "limits" placed by autism.  And that there was no way around this reality!    

They were wrong.  He proved them wrong. 

And they were right too.  Life was not the same for us after his diagnosis.  It became WAY BETTER.

It is way better now than we could have asked for, even before his diagnosis!

And every time I think there is nothing more I can ask for, he keeps making it better:-)  

Meanwhile, Shreya is quietly learning the keyboard on her own, and sometimes consults with her brother and friend Aditya about it.   

I am grateful, content, delighted!!!

Aditya is also preparing to play his favorite "Banana Phone" song on the keyboard during the upcoming variety show at his school.   The reason for the song is not that Aditya is crazy about it,  but that I (Baba) am a lot more comfortable with teaching this song.  I say this because three years ago, Aditya's only ism was to sing, draw, talk about, and walk with the Banana Phone CD!