Managing expectations is important for us all. As much as we’ve been preparing for the reality of First Place® AZ for nearly two decades through research, planning and design, our family also appreciates that transitions take time, hard work and teamwork. They also require courage, trust and confidence-building successes.
As our son Matt transitions to First Place–Phoenix, his first home outside our family home, we’re preparing ourselves for what’s next. Like so many families like ours, that’s what we’ve been doing for most of his 27 years!
We’re grateful that during our lifetimes and those of his grandparents and his closest family members—all Matt’s greatest champions—we’ll be by his side helping him, and each other, with this momentous transition. We know the day will come when he will prefer spending more time at First Place than our family home. That will be the turning point where Matt begins living a life of his choice versus our own.
While we don’t expect this will happen overnight or even over a period of weeks or months, a brighter future of independence and its inherent joys await Matt—as does greater peace of mind for those who love him the most.