I guess I am early with my new year's wishes, but I hope that with good planning, hope, love and devotion my little shop can grow and employ and engage more people with autism.
I feel so certain that Andrew's birth was not in vain, his suffering, his disability has to mean something...has to count. For that I dream of a shop that will employ others with autism to give hope to other parents who have suffered through the ups and downs of autism - it's many cycles of despair and hope.
Having spent the weekend meeting lovely people in a determined city dedicated to rebuilding and regrouping after hurricane Sandy I have a new and renewed sense of urgency that we need to "do this"-- create this employment, create a legacy for Andrew that will live past me and provide hope and employment for others into the future. To see the sadness on the faces of other parents with children like mine - the shattered dreams - the forgotten kids that reach 18 and 21 and basically fall off statistics and into the abyss of homebound and hopeless. In some ways NOTHING has changed from years past. Instead of institutions we instead have forced imprisonment in their homes with aging parents, unable to buck a system that has run out of ideas, out of passion and out of time.
I have no false ego or pride, but merely a sense of self determination and a burgeoning sense of pride in all that Andrew can do when given the opportunity and guidance. He is one of the "lucky" ones who has found a little niche, an island of hope in a sea of despair.
I pray for strength, determination and maybe a bit of luck to get us to the next step.
Thank you Hoboken for having our little shop this weekend, and God speed the rebuild!
cate
No comments:
Post a Comment