One of the happiest activities for our family when the children were younger was spending time on our boat on local lakes. The kids especially liked being pulled behind on a tube while their father did his best to try to dump them off for extra excitement. Micah loved the boat rides, and it should be noted that his father did not try to launch him from the tube. Unlike his siblings, Micah was zipped around the lake with no quick turns, but enough speed to make him smile big time.
Lately Micah has been unusually somber. When asked, he has been able to tell us via Spelling to Communicate (S2C) that he is depressed. He has had a harder time sharing what is triggering his depression but did share that he has been dealing with feelings of depression since he was age 23. As he is 32 years old now, that has been a big chunk of his life. Given our family history, this diagnosis is not a total surprise, especially since he was unable to really communicate with any of us until he was 30. I cannot even fathom his frustration back then. Prior to S2C he was locked in a world where no one had a clue about all he was thinking and experiencing. Even now, with the wonderful breakthrough of S2C, he struggles to make his body respond as he pokes out words on his letterboards or the computer keyboard. It is hard exhausting work for him. I am sure he feels it is well worth it, but at times it must be frustrating that most people can communicate without a second thought while he has to focus letter by letter to get his words out.
Thankfully, the warmer weather has finally arrived in New Hampshire, and we were able to get out on the water for first time last week. We no longer have the boat, as I was unable to maintain or operate it after Micah’s father, Gary died, but we do have a jet ski that we are fortunate to keep moored at Micah’s Godmother Diane’s lakefront property. Micah seemed especially downcast the first morning we drove over to ride the jet ski, but once we hit the water, his whole countenance was transformed. When we hit some waves made by bigger boats, I looked back to check on him and was delighted to see a huge smile on his face. In fact, the more we were tossed around by the big waves, the happier he was. I am sure he would have been even happier if Diane was driving him as she loves to hit the big waves with fearless abandon. I tend to be more cautious. I am not sure why I am the only one of us who has ever been stopped by Marine Patrol, but that is a story for another time! The most important point is that Micah’s whole demeanor changed while out on the water and the glow from his water time lasted for hours after we left the lake. How blessed we are to make new happy water memories.
We will continue to try to understand what is triggering Micah’s depression, through S2C and possible medication changes. But the top form of therapy comes on sunny days when he can hit the big waves as he jet skis around our beautiful New Hampshire lake.
June words from Micah: via S2C Micah was asked what he would want to say to his younger self. Micah wrote I WOULD SAY I MIGHT NOT SPEAK BUT DON’T LET THAT STOP YOU. YOU ARE BRILLIANT.
Jan Lessard Peightell and Micah J. Lessard June 22, 2026
