My mother used to say when things got tough: ” It’s time to call in the Reserves.” I actually never knew what she meant when I was younger. She often had a habit of coming up with some really wacky expressions: “… and I’m not just singing alligators” she would scream when she was really mad at us or threatening to send us to our rooms. But never-the-less, this phrase, “calling in the Reserves”, stuck with me. So when a few years ago, things got really really tough; finances were tight, my marriage was falling apart and I was suddenly a single parent with 4 kids, I realized that NOW was indeed a good time to blow into a horn and call the cavalry or whatever my mom meant. And that is exactly what I did. .

In the summer of 2009, I desperately began looking for someone to help me juggle Leta and the other 3 kids. And one day I scheduled a meeting with the daughter of a teacher at Leta’s special needs school. I asked Jasmine to meet us at our pool, but she didn’t drive, so she asked to bring along her boyfriend. Jasmine was lovely. She had quite a lot of experience with special needs kids and was very mature. I was immediately impressed. But then I heard a “Splash!” Leta was in the water. But on closer inspection, luckily, so was Jasmine’s boyfriend. Leta did not know how to swim but she was all smiles, clearly thrilled to be getting attention from this dude. Jasmine introduced me to Kenny and his first words were, “I betcha I could teach this little girl how to swim!”

And the rest is history. I hired Kenny on the spot! I didn’t know anything about him, except he was 6 feet 4 inches tall to Leta’s 3 feet and he had a special soulfulness that made me suspect he could handle almost anything. He had no experience caring for special needs kids, ever.

And as we talked I discovered that besides struggling to hold on to a part-time job at GameZone,he had spent the last 2 years in the Army… wait for it….RESERVES! I could hear my mom laughing in heaven as she handed me this gift. My own Army guy or Army manny for Leta. It all made sense. If Kenny could survive the Army, then he might just have a chance handling Leta.

And that is the story of how I found Kenny or Kenny found us. He is one of Leta’s best friends and conversely, he describes Leta as the second coolest girl he knows. Kenny has been in our life now for over 5 years, off and on, mostly in the summer. He has attended many of Leta’s Spongebob birthday parties, he has endured being buried in the sand up to his neck at the beach just to amuse Leta, and he has dealt with Leta stripping down butt-naked at Target. He has flown with her by himself in his full army camaflouge fatigues, giving Leta her own movie version of “An Officer and a Gentleman,” as he carried her off the plane, and he has never let on that Leta is difficult. In fact, Kenny makes it look easy. And Leta adores him.

Last week, Kenny was hired at Camphill to work in their transition program at Beaver Farm. He is helping assist a 21 year old boy with severe autism. When I asked Kenny how it was going so far, he said with passion that “this is his dream job.” I am so thrilled for him. The universe works in mysterious ways bringing Kenny into our lives which propelled him in towards a profession caring for special needs children. It seems to be his calling. He is gifted in the art of caring for kids with differences. And I am proud to call him Leta’s friend.

(oh! and that first summer, Kenny did teach Leta how to swim with water-wings!”)