I sent Monster Man and Angel Baby on a youth retreat with the church this weekend. While it normally wouldn't have been such a big deal, I was having a hard time deciding whether or not they should go this time. Their fighting has gotten pretty bad lately, which has really affected Monster Man's mood. He's been getting angry much quicker, which means that I've had to be on lookout for it to turn into full-blown rage. Thankfully, it hasn't gotten that far, and we've been able to avoid having to use his medicine, but I was still nervous about how he'd do without me there to watch for telltale signs. After all, I'm the one that usually gets to see him at his worse, so I know what to look for before it turns into something really bad.
Add to all the fact that we have a new youth minister, and you can see why I wasn't as sure about them going this time. I love the new youth minister and his wife, and I know they will be a positive influence in our church, but I am more than a little nervous about them seeing this whole other side of Monster Man... the side that people who don't know about his issues might see and think that he's a bratty, disruptive, or disrespectful kid. I have informed the new youth minister about Monster Man's TS, and about all that goes with it, but he had almost 40 kids with him that he were new to him, and I know that it could be hard to remember what I told him when he's trying to remember all the details about each and every one of the kids in the group. There were other chaperons on the trip, some that might be able to distinguish what is normal Monster Man behavior and what might be him getting into trouble, but I've still been nervous about not being there with him this weekend. Still, I've had to learn to put my faith in God and to trust that he'll be okay without me there to intervene.
I am looking forward to having both Monster Man and Angel Baby home tonight. I want to hear how everything went, to find out if they enjoyed their weekend away, and to find out what they learned.
