Hard Boiled

Ryan has always been consistent with his food preferences, all a part of his Autism puzzle. For the past 15-plus years, he has eaten two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast every day. For those of you worried about his cholesterol, he only eats the whites and the dog happily eats the yolks, unconcerned with her lipid levels.

Today, I noticed the egg bowl was empty, and as I started to hard boil another round, I realized I only needed to do enough for two more days. He leaves soon to start the two-year Wayfinders program at Fresno State. (Go Bulldogs!) It’s a wonderful program that focuses on job skills, independent living skills, and how to navigate the world. He’ll be living in an apartment with three roommates and learning how to handle his finances, work schedule, grocery shopping, social outings, transportation, and much more.

We have been working on this for a year: the application, an “all about me” video, the interviews, the acceptance letter, the myriad of forms to be filled out, the packing list, and working on life skills with him (cooking, laundry, banking, and ordering an Uber, among the list).

In spite of the stacks of plastic bins in the living room, the daily Amazon arrivals, and the growing list of things to be done, it did not hit home until this morning when I realized we only needed four more eggs boiled. Sometimes it's the little things that suddenly catch your heart and bring on the tears.

We know this is a great opportunity for him and one he needs to tackle to build an independent life. We know it's time for him to start cooking his own eggs, though I'm not sure how to explain the lack of yolks to the dog.

Regina Stoops is an award-winning storyteller, comedian, writer, producer, MS Warrior, and Autism Mom living with her wife and three kids in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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