I just quietly watched him from afar. He didn’t know I was watching. He was sitting at his desk quietly, almost silently, sounding out the words written on one of his DVD’s. He wasn’t completing a trial. He wasn’t working because I or anyone else was bribing him with a reward. There were no tokens ...
Growing up, I was a clean-cut, straight-laced mamma’s boy. Growing up, I played sports and collected GI Joe’s and listened to Top 40 music. Growing up, I judged an entire group of people. I want to apologize to all of them. Never vocally (well, sometimes vocally among friends), I called them names like “weirdos”. I ...
They don’t teach you this stuff in school. In fact, most of it completely contradicts everything you were taught. They don’t teach you about the paradoxes that hide in the simplest places: The toys and shows that bring your kids so much joy can so easily slip into unhealthy obsession and bring them grief and ...
There is one word that beats me down on a regular basis. It’s not a noun or a verb. I don’t really know what the heck it is (I’m sure there is an English major out there who will tell me). The word is “SHOULD”. “SHOULD” connotes entitlement: “I SHOULD be able to enjoy my ...
My son just wanted to go in the hot tub. The sign said “adults only”. The attentive hotel employee (let’s call him “Mike”) enforced the rules with zero tolerance. He pointed at the sign and tapped it twice with his index finger. “No one under 18 allowed.” My son obeyed, but whimpered as he stepped ...
I choose to stay positive. I choose to embrace the tiny victories.I choose to keep it real.I choose honesty.I choose humility. I choose to forgive myself when I fail.I choose to let go of guilt.I choose to run toward my wife, not away.I choose to live in awe of my son. I choose to let ...
I just don’t know. Sometimes I feel like I spend my days putting band aids on my own emotional issues dealing with all this. Some days I get spiritual and turn to God. Some days I write and express my emotions that way. Some days I throw myself into some other task like work or ...
I ask you to indulge me for a minute as I drift off topic briefly. I have to write about this because it affects me deeply and I’ve been hurting for a couple of days. I think by now most of you have come to know me as a kind, fair and gentle man just ...
He’s hideous. He has bad breath and yellow fangs. He has a rotten stench and the diabolic power of reaching into your soul and squeezing your spirit until it physically hurts. He’s doesn’t play fair. He’s sly and sneaky and jumps up to snatch you at your most vulnerable moments. His name? “Comparison”.
I have this Autism Parenting gig boiled down to three basic concepts: 1) Pick your battles.2) Trust your gut.3) Screw Dr. Phil. Every day my son makes a plan. Actually, it’s more of a legally-binding contract than a plan. The plan includes a list of mundane activities that he agrees to take part in (like ...
