I don’t cry

At least I hold it in

Or tell myself

The wetness on my cheeks

Is from the rain

My son cries

For both of us

So many are his tears

He screams

Because he has no words

And sometimes, neither do I.

–written Dec. 2018

This poem was written as a very raw response to one of my son’s meltdowns. My 9-year-old son, Luke, is autistic. But it’s more than awareness we need. We need acceptance.

Autism doesn’t define my son. People are much more than their diagnoses and shouldn’t be limited, boxed in, or judged by them. I love my son for who he is.

Every person with autism is a person with autism–unique, beautiful, and a child of God–just like all of us. We can learn a lot from those who have special needs–how to be more compassionate and less judgmental, how to see the world differently, how to slow down and understand.