The Biggest Gift

At the park last night, one of these boys played with boys his own age. He went up the slide and scaled the jungle gym like an acrobat.

One of these boys chased after the older boys. They tickled him and he loved the attention. He went down the slide a hundred times and said…’mommy watch this!’

The other boy felt the mulch with his fingers, went down the slide twice because his mom asked him too, and spent the majority of his time tapping the metal garbage can and giggling at the loud noise it made. He loves noises. He also loves driving his parents crazy with noises.

One spoke about a recent hockey tournament. One mimicked the older boys. One only said one word…’H-O-M’ when he was done.

All three boys were greeted by friends. All three boys waved goodbye. All three had a wonderful time.

I read a quote tonight…’it takes courage to be yourself in a world where you are constantly told that who you are isn’t enough. Being yourself is the biggest gift you can offer the world.’

I think a really important lesson that I learned raising three very different boys is…happiness looks different for everyone. And one person’s happiness is not less than the others.

Before autism, I’m not sure that I really understood that. I do now. And I’m thankful for that.

Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook, subscribe for exclusive videos, and subscribe to our newsletter.