Giving Thanks

There are so many things I am thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, but my thanks are not just limited to one day of the year.  What I am thankful for I carry with me every day; although, I may not express my thanks openly on a daily basis to those I am thankful for, but today is the one day I will.  Here are my top ten things I am thankful for today and everyday of the year.

10. I am thankful for the place where I grew up, Concord, New Hampshire.  This small town is a great place to raise a family and a place where you appreciate small town living that enriches your life.  It definitely taught me to be humble, grounded, and kept my feet on the ground.  I think about and miss New Hampshire every day. 

9. I am thankful for the humble and simple life my parents provided for me and my siblings.  It has given me a greater appreciation of the things I have been able to accomplish and goals I have reached throughout my life. 

8. I am thankful for the people I have met throughout the 41 years of my life, whether short or long-term, a brief encounter or one that has lasted for years; you have made some kind of impact on my life.

7.  I am thankful for the friends that have come in and out of my life and those that have remained.  We have shared personal struggles, good times, and had a lot of laughs together.

6.  I am thankful to the City of Columbus, Ohio for being progressive in the amount of education and therapeutic programs they offer to families raising a child with autism.

5. I am thankful for all the therapists, teachers and doctors, who worked with my son throughout the years to help him develop and understand the world around him.  Without dedicated professionals like you I am not sure Zach’s future would have as much hope. 

4.  I am thankful for my mother for the 40 years she was with me before she passed.  You taught me how to be child, young man and adult.  You showed me how to be kind, caring, and loving to those around me.

3. I am thankful for my children for keeping me grounded. You make me want to be a better father every day.

2.  I am thankful for my wife and the more than 20 years we have spent together and the incredible friendship we share.  You are definitely the rock of the family.

1. I am thankful for each day I am allowed to continue living on this earth and the time I get to spent with my family.  I could not imagine being without you. 

Ohio Renaissance Festival

A few weekends ago I took my kids, Zach and Riley, to the Ohio Renaissance Festival down in Harveysburg, Ohio.  I had heard a lot of good things about the festival and have wanted to go for a number of years.   The festival consisted of people dressed in the Renaissance era clothing, comedy shows, games and rides, musicians playing music from the historical period, and of course vendors trying to sell merchandise.  I thought the kids might enjoy some of the shows and games, but I was grossly wrong. 

The only thing Zach was interested in was a replica pirate ship that was on display. However, when he found out that he could not board the ship and explore it he was not interested in anything other than knowing what time we were leaving.  We stayed for about 3 ½ hours before departing and I initially thought it was just a waste of time and money.  After thinking about the trip some more I realized that it may have been a waste of money, but not necessarily a waste of time.  You see, a couple of years ago Zach would not have been capable of staying at a place for 3 ½ hours he had no interest in being without making it difficult on his parents.  He would have verbally and physically objected by throwing himself down on the ground in protest.  At the Renaissance Festival where he clearly had no interest as evident by his unmotivated body language, Zach hung in there and tolerated the environment without incident.  

We always want our kids to experience new and different things whether or not it turns out good or bad, and if they liked it or not.  Going into some situations we kind of have a feeling if it will be a positive experience and other times it is unpredictable with what could happen.  From one parent raising a child with autism to all the others doing the same, I encourage you to expose your child to different environments.  This is one of many ways they will learn and adapt to various environments they will be confronted with in the future.