Josiah has had two real birthday parties his entire life! At age 5 we invited immediate family and some close friends to celebrate. I don’t remember much about the party but I remember the cards we sent afterward with a photo of Josiah and a note that said, Thank You for coming to my party. I had a Ball!

Many years later, an indoor trampoline park opened a couple of miles from our home. Josiah spent one third of his life jumping, so we knew this would be the perfect party for our bouncy guy on his 13th Birthday.

Wrong! Josiah sat in that chair the entire time, never once stepping foot on a trampoline. He refused to budge.  Eventually he just cried. The next morning Josiah woke with a fever. Poor kid had been feeling sick but we never knew.  He definitely did not enjoy that party!

When Josiah turned 16, life for him was not so great. It definitely was not the right time for a birthday bash. As with other years, we kept it quiet and calm, just enjoying his special day without much hoopla.

We rented a room at a local recreation center, invested in some black lights and loaded up on Glow in the Dark decor, games and treats. We turned out the lights, turned up the music and had a blast! Josiah and his friends lit up the dance floor, (pun intended) so happy to spend time together doing what they love.

The moms created costumes for themselves by taping glow sticks to their dark colored outfits with clear packing tape. They crafted glow jewelry, glow head pieces and glow clothes, laughing as they challenged each other to see who could design the best costume. They had just as much fun if not more than the kids, posing for selfies and group shots.

The best part? Josiah had fun! He was out in public, in a crowded, sensory overloaded environment, getting much more attention than he prefers and he had fun!!

We turned on the lights for a short while and captured this.

For a brief moment in time Josiah fit right in. Helmet and all!

That my friends is more than this mom could have ever hoped for!