The bells…

When Hunter was a toddler he fell in love with Disney’s Hunchback of Dame. He knew all of the songs and I loved to hear him sing them. This was before he lost his speech. I loved how he would mimic the vibrato during the opening song. He had a beautiful voice; at one point I believed he may even be a singer… then the words, his voice, went away. Every now and then I would overhear him sing a few of the movie tunes but it was rare. Even still, Hunter would watch this movie multiple times daily and remained fully intrigued. I always wanted to take him to see the the real Notre Dame; after his diagnosis however I thought that would be a dream that would never manifest. I figured there would be no way he could tolerate the plane ride. And he would never be able to go inside due to some of his disruptive behaviors.

As Hunter grew older and also matured, he would still watch the movie regularly. It seemed to calm him at times. I began to wonder if he would be able to make the trip? We definitely have pushed boundaries. He had grown leaps and bounds. He tolerated the nine hour leg of the flight to Rio de Janeiro… could he possibly handle another hour and a half in flight?

The opportunity rose to go Paris and I decided to test the waters. In preparation for the trip, I told him about the real Notre Dame. I told he he was you going to see the real cathedral and I knew he understood. When we arrived his excitement overwhelmed me so much I wanted to take a picture of him with the cathedral in view. In That moment, he smiled and threw his arms wide open. HE RECOGNIZED IT!

He knew where we were without me saying a word! As we stood in line to enter his excitement grew even more! I became a little concerned… He would not be able to make his usually noises and stimming once we went in. I reminded him that he would need to use his “quiet voice and hands” once we went inside, but I wasn’t optimistic that he would be able to contain himself based on history.

But something remarkable happened when we entered the doors. Though still excited, he became serene and calm. He would make a noise or two, but in a whisper. He seemed in awe of the splendor just as I was. And as we walked through, not one behavior! He knew that although we were there touring, we were still in a place of worship. He was so serene and reverent. I was so proud of him! We have come such a long way!

And then, we heard the bells… It took me a moment to realize what I was hearing, it started with one of the smaller bells. Then the others rang out. More were gradually added until you could hear the full chorus of bells! Hunter giggled and waved his hands when he heard them. I got chills listening and could not resist recording the mesmerizing sounds…the beautiful, haunting, hypnotizing sounds of the bells of Notre Dame!

This day and moment will go down in the books as the most memorable to date! This experience encourages me to continue on with our life travels!