Three Generations of Expression

Three Generations of Expression - Goodwood Revival - My grandson

Willoughby is growing up in a world where he’s allowed to express himself fully — with his whole personality, his confidence, and his joy. He’s a bright, kind, loving boy, and he’s raised to show it rather than hide it.

I wasn’t raised that way. I was raised to be less than myself, to quiet who I was, No diagnosis , no tolerance taught to mask, without kindness. My daughter sit in the middle: I got some things right and some things wrong, doing my best without the internet, without support, and with doctors who didn’t believe me, even with outstanding circumstance , she couldn't have ticked more boxes. (Also I had no idea I was ND)

So we are three generations of neurodivergence. And because of the two generations before him, this one finally has the chance to get it right.

The Moment at Goodwood

The memory from that day is simple. We were wandering through the market stalls at Goodwood Revival. He led the way — drawn to sparkle and shine, just like me and his mum. I wasn’t planning to buy anything; I was just enjoying the day and letting him explore.

We found a bright wall and decided to take a photo. While he was stepping back with my phone, a photographer approached and asked if she could help him. He said yes immediately. She stepped back with him, talked him through how to take a photo, then offered to take one of both of us. Cameras around her neck, Vintage outfit, white glasses with little hearts — she looked brilliant.

An act of Kindness.

And just like that, we had a memory.

Expression Across Generations

He wants to be a footballer when he grows up, so the poses were all him — feeling his feelings through movement and expression. Nothing staged by me. Just us having fun. Three generations who now understand ourselves better, and one generation finally allowed to embrace it instead of hide it.

For me and his mum, it wasn’t like that.

A Note on Social Media

I don’t think children should be on social media, but this is the world they live in. He was expressing himself, and if he doesn’t want it online when he’s older, I can delete it. The day will still be ours (Friday Lindsay day out). He’ll probably always use media in some way — he’s more dyslexic than I am, and technology will be part of his life. I only started using it properly in the last decade, and I’m still learning.

I’ll check with his mum first, before posting. But whether he becomes a footballer or a photographer, he has an eye for photos, for composition, and for saying what he feels. He asked me to take the photos, and I said yes.

Footnote

This #OOTD is a snapshot of Willoughby’s freedom of expression and the way he’s being raised. His creative joy - When he’s older, he can look back and see how confident he was as a child — hopefully that confidence stays with him. But if he ever loses a bit of it, he can always look back and see that he was always this bright, expressive, and absolutely himself. And for a neurodivergent family like ours, that’s something we’re proud to make possible.

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