Food for Thought – April 6, 2015 Edition
When a Little Girl at the Pool Realized My Son Had Autism
“Here, get on the float, I’ll pull you,” “I’ll throw the ball, and you catch, OK?” Whoa! Was I really seeing what I was seeing? Was my son playing? Did my son finally have a friend? For about 20 minutes, until the little girl had to go, I got to watch two kids laughing and playing together, and for the first time ever, one of them was mine.
Jean Vanier, Untiring Advocate for People With Disabilities, Wins Templeton Prize
The next turning point came in 1963, when at the urging of a priest and spiritual mentor in Trosly-Breuil, Vanier visited people with disabilities who were living in psychiatric hospitals and other institutions. One of them reportedly asked him, “Will you be my friend?”
What Does Autism Awareness Even Mean?
Yet even on the bleakest days, your heart can soar with hope and love and pride. Maybe it’s a single new word or a bite of pizza; maybe it’s a full night of sleep or a trip to the grocery store without a meltdown. But it’s there; your very own autism awareness.
You are an autism mother and father, brother and sister. An autism grandma and grandpa and cousin and aunt and neighbor and friend. And if I could, I would send you a warm cinnamon roll with lots and lots of frosting.
Team Aidan 