1. He not only survived, but flourished after a traumatic birth. (note: From the beginning we were warned of all that Porter might not do – he might not live; he might not talk; he might not walk; and on and on the list went.)
2. He rolled a bowling ball off the couch and onto his foot, didn’t cry (note: Porter was under Meja’s lone supervision for all of 20 or so minutes at the time – I was going out of town for work and Clint was driving me to the airport when it happened.)
3. After finally learning to ride a bike, he rode himself to the point of fatigue and crashed into the pavement in the middle of the street. He lifted his arm and there was a thumbs up, followed by a jump up and remount. We had to force him to take a break. (note: Porter regularly comes home from playing with bruises, scrapes and blood, as I’m sure many other little boys do, but his have to be pointed out to him.)
4. A few years ago when playing recreational soccer, he was nailed in the head with the ball. Players gathered around his bent over body, and a few seconds later he picked his head up and there was a big smile on his face followed by a thumbs up and “I’m okay.” (note: We’re not sure whether Porter has a naturally high tolerance for pain, or if it’s a result of his brain injury, or if he inherited from me, but it’s definitely there.)
5. He swallows medicine and rolls up his sleeve and takes his immunizations like a woman! (note: We used to have to chase him around and hold him down. And of course afterwards he would realize that it wasn’t that bad AT ALL!)
6. He recently asked 13 girls to be his girlfriend in one day, rejected by all (note: Porter’s been a ladies man since kindergarten when he proposed to two of his classmates in the lunchroom, same day, then stood between them and held both their hands in the recess line.)
7. This morning, after being tired of it bothering him the last couple days, he pulled out his own molar. (note: Porter says he’s going to put this one under his pillow and if he does it will be a first. He doesn’t like the idea of someone creeping into his room at night. I know, not so tough.)
8. Porter has the opposite effect on the “toughness” of others. He turns people into softies by using his charm and personality to put smiles on their faces and warmth in their hearts. (note: I’ve seen him do this to Harley riding manly men as well as many other men who believe themselves to be pretty bad ass.)
9. He’s been working hard to overcome the anxiety he’s been suffering from since a toddler. With the help of his “worry” doctors (psychiatrist and psychologist) he’s been understanding his need for medication and learning coping strategies as well. (note: It has been tough as a parent to watch how Porter is affected by anxiety and the last year has been the toughest. There have been more times than I care to admit that I’ve felt not tough enough to fight this fight. So, along with good vibes, I’d like everyone to send a little strength my way as well.)
10. This spot is reserved for a situation, event, or story that serves as your example of Porter’s toughness. If you choose to share, great! If not, that’s okay too, because I know you will carry that memory with you anyway.
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