Jody
Wednesday, August 6, 2008

I am a family member

David was the perfect baby. However, that changed, and my happy little boy became fearful and wasn’t interested in playing with others. These behavioral challenges were later diagnosed as Asperger’s Syndrome, and nothing could prepare me for how the real world would perceive him.

Once, when David threw a tantrum, a woman said, “I think someone needs a rap on his bottom.”  She then tapped him with her rolled-up paper. Some well-intentioned family members would also say, “There’s nothing wrong with him. He just needs some discipline.”

Unfortunately, I took these comments personally. Like the time a man gruffly whispered in my ear, “It’s not his fault, it’s yours!” after witnessing one of David's tirades.

A woman once called David a brat while we were in church. She was silenced when my husband reminded her that we are all God’s children.

I have been equally blessed with “angels.” One hectic morning, I struggled through the store with my two children when a man appeared and said, “Lady, you have two beautiful children.” 

Another time, while eating in a nice restaurant, a woman stared at David’s behavior in disgust. This irritated my husband until a man approached us and said, “You’ve got yourself a real nice family.”

Of all the statements, none can compare with the one made by Jayme, a parent at my daughter’s school. He must have overheard a conversation about David's special needs. “What's his disability?” he asked.

“Asperger’s Syndrome,” I replied.

I expected him to respond in the usual way when someone doesn’t know what to say. Instead, he said, “I hope the Lord gave this to you to do some good.”

I will never forget the force or the challenge that lies within those few simple words.