This is one activity where all of us can be together and electronics are used at a minimum. I can still hear some music playing from Broden’s phone, but for the most part, phones are not the focus, and time can be spent taking in what is going on in the moment. I see more interaction between Hayden and Broden on the trail, as Hayden jumps in front to take the lead. On our hikes I always enjoy watching Broden pick up his step to catch up with his big brother. 

This is one activity where all of us can be together and electronics are used at a minimum. I can still hear some music playing from Broden’s phone, but for the most part, phones are not the focus, and time can be spent taking in what is going on in the moment. I see more interaction between Hayden and Broden on the trail, as Hayden jumps in front to take the lead. On our hikes I always enjoy watching Broden pick up his step to catch up with his big brother. 

"It was time for Broden to have his wisdom teeth extracted. For a child with severe autism, this is not an easy proffice for a consult."

On our last hike together this month, we chose a trail that we have hiked many times over the last few years. I didn’t want to choose a trail that was new to us, because that wasn’t the point. I didn’t want to try anything new. I just wanted us to be together and take a path that we had already experienced, so we could focus on being together. Broden remembered the route, so after half a mile, he started to gallop alongside Hayden. He had a sense of contentment with the routine, and I knew Broden would enjoy that aspect of the hike. 

As the boys moved ahead and weaved around other people on the path, Mark and I looked at each other periodically and smiled. We didn't have to say anything. Smiling at each other translated to many things. We've come a long way, and the hikes that we take with all four of us together are never taken for granted. With Broden in our lives, very few things are taken for granted, as far as being out together as a family.

Towards the end of the trail, there are two ways to get back to our car. Mark and I told Hayden to slow down and let Broden take the lead, "Hayden, let Broden decide what route he wants to take. He knows this trail really well." Broden took a sharp right and headed up the stairs to the parking lot instead of following the trail to a nearby park area. Hayden looked back and smirked at us.

As Hayden matures with new experiences at college, he has realized that Broden is growing too.

As we followed Broden to the car at the end of our hike, I noticed a family of four starting a hike along the trail. There were two parents a few steps ahead of two teenage boys, “C’mon, this will be fun. We need to do this stuff together more often. Pick your feet up.” As I glanced over again, I could see the parents roll their eyes at each other and the two boys sigh as they started to pick up their pace. Witnessing that interaction made me giggle. I glanced over at Mark, smiling as he glanced back at me with a look of contentment. These

are the times that you don't want to forget. Moments like these are when you remember that it is the journey. It's not the goals you set out to meet, or aimlessly trying to attain a level of "happiness," because you connect "happiness" with winning at life. I've learned to strive for contentment in the mundane, the relaxing stroll down a hiking path that you know, with the ones you love. Life is good when you're experiencing the mundane with the ones you choose to do life with each day. •

PUZZLES & CAMO

Shelly Huhtanen is an Army wife stationed at Fort Jackson, SC. She enjoys sharing her experiences of her day-to-day life caring for her son with autism. Shelly authored Giving a Voice to the Silent Many that encompasses many stories of raising a child with autism in the military. She also teaches Public Communication at the University of South Carolina and has contributed to EP Magazine for over 10 years.