While I live in a three-ring circus under my own roof, there is another circus -- a quaint little circus that comes to town each year. In addition to their regular performances, they perform a free "sensory" circus just for special needs children. Bridger's preschool class went on a field trip there this week and lucky me got to chaperon. Knowing what such outings are like with him, I never in a million years would have spent a cent on a circus ticket for him, so a free ticket was the perfect price tag for such an event.
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The clowns, while still clowny, suppressed some silliness as to not overwhelm the children that have sensory issues. They brought out their extra wigs to let the kids touch them and had calm interactions using bubbles and quiet rubber chickens. Bridger was fascinated with the clown he got to pop bubbles with before the show began.
The big top was filled with over 400 special needs children and the people that love them as their caregivers, teachers and parents. So what did I do as all the excitement and lights and sounds of the circus began? I started crying. What crazy person CRIES at the circus?! I couldn't help it -- I was overcome with a feeling that I hadn't anticipated. Being surrounded by all of those children was intense. There was such a feeling of love under that tent and I was overwhelmed with the power that surrounded me being in the presence of so many perfect spirits. The tears quickly dried shortly after the show started, though, as I began my WWF match with Bridger and wrestled him throughout the entire show. I don't blame him -- with his vision impairment he couldn't really see the show at all. I would have been wiggly too.
Then came the extra cool part. At the conclusion of the circus Bear's vision therapist (who LOOOVES him) told us to stay put as the 400+ kids exited the circus tent. She came back to give Bridger a golden ticket that allowed him to be one of a dozen kids that got to go down to the circus ring and have a hands-on circus. Bridger got to touch all the animals, feel the feathery costumes that he couldn't see from afar, and even swing on the spinning-metal-daredevilish-acrobat contraption.
He had a great time and it was so fun for me to watch him enjoy something that we otherwise wouldn't have. My list of "can't do's" and "wouldn't do's" is growing as I'm making my way through this journey and I'm so grateful to companies like the Big Apple Circus that step out of the box and make accommodations to make my list have a few more "can do's" and "will do's".