My dad would often tell me that when Billy Graham was asked what surprised him most about life, he answered, “the brevity of it all.” It's true—all of a sudden it’s 2016 and my son Max has just turned 25. Along with brevity, this new year's day reminds me of several other startling truths: 1) It is becoming less plausible that I’m carrying postpartum baby weight. 2) Max has grown a beard, … [Read more...]
Hope at 3am
Dear friend, I started to write you a charming little story and was halfway through...when Tuesday night hit. Let me just say that most of our days and nights are good. Not easy, but good. For the past two months, however, Tuesday nights have been different. It’s as if autism grabs hold of our lives like a 1950’s sci-fi flick, the one with the pretty little plant that … [Read more...]
Max’s Two Words about Autism
“Max!” I said with the kind of enthusiasm I hoped would be contagious, “We are going to like this new doctor. He has a daughter with autism!” I tried to mask my own nerves, wondering how we would get through the next-day’s appointment in the city. I watched Max for a reaction as he bounced in his seat and started eating his dinner in a style reminiscent of a wood-chipper. Sometimes dinner in … [Read more...]
Max’s Go2 Team!
I’m letting you in on the start of a God-inspired project. I don’t know how it’s going to play out, but I do know one thing: life with special needs requires a team. So that’s exactly what we’re doing – building a team around our family. A few weeks ago I bravely sent a letter to 9 people in Max’s life inviting them to be a part of this team – teachers, buddies from church, family. I’ve … [Read more...]
Those Words that Let Us Know We Aren’t Alone
I brought my son Max to a neurophysiologist’s office for an evaluation. If you aren’t familiar with a “neuropsych eval,” it is a two-hour process in which you must: 1) Sit 2) Remain sitting 3) Give the allusion that you are paying attention while you remain sitting. Back then, when Max was nine years old, and already years into the diagnosis of autism, fulfilling any of these three … [Read more...]
The Privilege of Freedom
Max galloped across the quarter-mile field toward the Old North Bridge, one hand holding imaginary reigns and the other hand holding the failing elastic in his shorts. “I’m Paul Revere!” he shouted as he passed by other less enthusiastic visitors. Max loves everything about the Revolutionary War. He loves the facts, dates, soldiers, and he might even go for a pair of wool knickers if they came … [Read more...]