She Said It Best...

Great blog! Ms. Hood is talking about parenting her autistic son.

I didn't know that I would have a son who would teach me to be a much better person. To be more patient, tolerant and compassionate. He's taught me not to judge until I have the full story. And to not even judge after that. I've learned that there is never just one right answer. And that sometimes there isn't any answer at all. That we all do our best and sometimes that has to be good enough.

I didn't know that I could admire one of my own children so much. And try to emulate him. Oliver's first teacher once said to me, "life is very hard for Oliver." And it was meant to be taken at face value—life really is hard for him. Things that come easily to others—asking for something, joining a game, understanding directions—are difficult for him.

Oliver navigates the world with an upside down map. He nevers peaks the local dialect. And in effect, he's learned to work hard, be his own man and give others space to have their own differences. I think we could all try to be a little bit more like Oliver.