It seems weird that the end of the semester is approaching. In some ways it seems like it was quite recent that I starting visiting Zach and Dev as part of my service learning requirement. However, when I look back to the all of the things that have happened since the first time I visited with Zach, I am amazed that it's only been a few months since our first meeting.

I think the most apparent thing that I have learned is how quickly children can heal. The first time I saw Zach, he could hardly even turn over on his own. Then he started crawling, then he starting walking with a walker, then he started walking on his own, and then just last week he was running around the park. I'm really grateful that I recieved the opportunity to experience this time with Zach. Caring for Zach then and now is like being able to care for two different human exceptional children. One had major and the other minor health problems. I think I learned a greater respect for those with disabilities by wheeling Zach around those first few weeks, but it was also a lot of fun to see Zach back in action of late, doing those things he loved to do.

Another thing that I learned is the great bond there is between these two brothers. It was great to see how they both supported and encouraged each other. Even though sometimes they would disagree, it was easy to tell that they really cared for each other.

Perhaps one of the most surprising things I learned was how much I cared about Zach and Dev. I had them both in my class at church, and felt that I had connected with them pretty well during that time. However, as I began to have fun with them, and saw them in a different environment, I realized that I didn't really know them that well before. In this less restrictive environment we really had an opportunity to grow close.

The last thing I would like to touch on is how much I learned about Zach. He has a lot of great talents in the area of music and mechanics, but he also has a great ability to interact with other children. It was really a lot of fun to see him interact with pets, children, adults, etc, because they all felt the same certain bond to Zach that I did.

All in all, I would say this service learning assignment was quite successful. I think it has greatly increased my awareness and admiration to those human exceptional people that I come in contact with.