I look at my autistic grandson – he is so ruggedly handsome – his hair tossled, a piece of flowery silk fabric wrapped around his neck, his beautiful big blue eyes with long eye lashes looking sad and semi pleading. On the one hand he hates parties, big gatherings of people, loud places; on the other hand, he longs to have connection with others, feel loved and appreciated – yet he doesn’t know how to relate to others, how to enter into their world. It brings tears and pain not only to him but to those who do love him – his family. He asks often “Why did God make me like this?” And I don’t know the answer. Awkward as he appears socially, he has a heart of gold. When his grandfather suddenly had to be taken to the hospital with a very rapid heart beat, it was Sid who went to his room to pray for Grandpa, it was Sid who lovingly offered to help Grandpa the next day. He is full of extremes: so beautiful, yet so uncaring about his appearance; so verbal, yet so unable to establish rapport with others; so intelligent, yet so unpolished in his behaviors. He is loved deeply by his family and I pray that some day God will show him a very special place in life where he can shine and rejoice in the fellowship he can have with others and God.
A customer recently sent me a slide show about an Autism Cruise that he organizes. He sent it to me because the video shows the use of one of our Autism designs. But I want to show it to you because I think it is very well done and depicts the great joy that so many of these children and adults seemed to have experienced on this cruise. Thank you, Alan Fowler, for giving me permission to place this on my blog and for organizing joy and happiness for individuals with autism.
