Dear Sam, Happy 7th birthday! It’s hard to believe that seven years have passed since I first wrote to my grandson in this column, on the occasion of your birth. I wanted to welcome you into this world, tell you how much you are loved, and share some of my thoughts about what it means […]
On Healing 5/1/2006: Age 6 – as seen from age 60
Dear Sam, By coincidence, you turn 6 this month and I turn 60 a couple of weeks later. Because of your autism, you are a little different from many 6-year-olds. And I am different from many 60-year-olds because of my quadriplegia! For you, the world can sometimes feel a little scary. You need more predictability […]
On Healing 2/20/2006: A hug and a kick taught him toughness
Dear Sam, The last time we met, you told me all about your new adventures in wrestling. This is the first I’ve heard of a wrestling league for 5-year-olds, but it’s a good sport and a promising way to learn about yourself. But then you told me you were having a problem. You said another […]
On Healing 5/16/2005: A life lesson, courtesy of a 5-year-old
Dear Sam, Happy fifth birthday. In your five years, you have brought incredible joy to many people. Your beautiful smile, kind heart and unusual compassion attract people to you like a magnet. And you have also been a source of much concern. When you were first diagnosed on the autism continuum at 18 months, you […]
On Healing 6/21/2004: Remember with every loss, there’s a gain, too
Dear Sam, Happy birthday! I have written you a letter each year since your birth; this is the fourth. The first was to welcome you into our family. The second was to tell you that when you were 20 months old we discovered that you had some autistic characteristics (pervasive developmental disorder). And last year […]
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