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This is Real

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This is real.
This feeling. 
This comfort.
This feeling of being surrounded by like-minded people.
A warming safety feeling.
No stress.
No panic.
No fears.
The joys of the Prader Willi family weekend.

A time when you release your child to the elements, safe in the knowledge that if anything was to happen the Prader Willi Police (PWP) are everywhere. Watching. Like undercover agents hiding in the shadows. But not actually in the shadows. 

We are a fun crew. A happy crew. A proud crew. We look out for each other with a nod and a smile. A simple nod of 'I've got this, fear not'. It's lovely to embrace these moments. The Lodger loves these weekends. If excitement wasn't sometimes such a chore it may well be exciting. A time when he can meet all his like-minded friends and enjoy the freedom although he's being watched by so many knowledgeable eyes. 

 Another dad once told me; "We, the parents are the experts of this syndrome". And those words have never left me. 

As I watch the lodger grow tired in the arms of another PWS parent I'm not concerned, I'm not worried whats going to happen, I'm not as ready to jump into action to stop the hair pulling or whatever may happen. I know they know what I know. I know they've got this.
They know how to manage the lodger. They understand. They play his games. They work his angles. They've been here. They've lived and learned our complex syndrome. 

And this is why this, of all weekends, is the most relaxing weekend for me, as a parent. A safety net all around. A comfort. A joy. Together we are stronger has never made so much sense. 
Together we stand. 
Together we fight. 
And this weekend, Together we dance.
The Lodger partied out at the
PWSAI Family Weekend 2016

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