We celebrate Gavin’s 18th birthday this week. This is a moment that’s absolutely worth celebrating, for a million reasons. While there’s so much to be grateful for, it’s really hard not to notice things that are cause for worry.

Over the last few days, I’ve noticed that Gavin is forgetting what some words mean. The one that took me by surprise was the word maintenance. He doesn’t remember what it means to perform maintenance on something. There has been a few others as well but I can’t remember them off the top of my head.

I know I’m not the only one taking notice because Gavin will ask what a word means and Lizze will look at me in concern.

Elliott and Emmett are noticing as well. They’re very respectful and careful not to tease him about it. Gavin is very, very, very sensitive about this because he knows that he used to know what these words meant.

Rather than just tell him what a word means, I make him Google it on his tablet. If he can’t find it, we will of course help him. I think it’s important that even half he forgets the meaning of a word, that he remember that he can still figure it out on his own. So far, he’s been able to look them up but he never remembers to do that until he asks for the answer and I remind him to look it up.

The whole thing is heartbreaking but what’s worse is that Gavin knows he’s forgetting, and it really upsets him.

I wish I could carry this burden for him but I can’t. All I can do is be there for him.