In August of 2006 my life changed for the better. I was forty years old and I finally became a man. I became a father.....
I was given the gift of a son. A son that was high maintenance right off the bat. I didn't know any better because I was new at this parent thing.
He walked right away, he talked right away (loud and quickly), he was reading right away....
He was also having difficulty sleeping every night, he was putting playground chips in his mouth all the time, he was taking off his itchy clothes all the time and he was pushing his mother and I to our limits all the time.
We couldn't find the right daycare or a perfect babysitter and the stress was getting thick around the house.
One day I told a guy at work that I was starting to understand why crackheads throw their crying babies out of six floor windows.
My ex wife tried homeopathic methods, she tried diets, she tried everything. She found therapists. She got him an IEP and that was a blessing. Finally we took him to get tested.
When the Doctor told us our son was on the Autistic Spectrum my ex wife started crying. "Mrs. Shepley.... the halls at Northwestern and the University of Chicago are full of kids Like George!"
I have watched George go from being a boy on the spectrum to becoming a young man on the spectrum. He has watched me grow older as well.
Many of us have a Special Needs Child. From Autism to Downs Syndrome to Diabetes.
The thing is these are not handicaps... these are lights that shine differently.
We all belong in a category..... all with different challenges.... all with endless possibilities.
Parenthood brings the joy and pain of watching our children grow and without knowing it our children are watching us grow as well.
I hear my dad everyday say, "Did you give them a good example before you blew your top?"
I wonder where he came up with that brilliant theory..... Live and Learn!
Our job as Parents is to leave the world a better us.... I'm better than Don Shepley and George will be better than me....
Monday night everyone should go out and howl at the full moon!
