Post & Photo: copyright–Leisa A. Hammett

Like the rest of us who find ourselves suddenly delivered the "A word" of a family member's autism diagnosis, my friend, a grandfather, finds himself curious, aggrieved and searching among the rubble of lost expectations for the old remnants of Hope with startling finds of Good.

It is the same friend that inspired last week's post about Grace's musical ability. It was his email-shared observations of her pleasant, soothing hum as she rocked in his office–me busily conducting some matter of business there–that prompted me to write about Grace's musical nature. 

At the end of our email exchange, in which I shared our experiences, observations and concocted explanations, he noted she seemed happy. In one last reply I noted: Oh, yes. Yes, indeed….I believe that is part of my daughter's gift to the world: Pure. Innocent. Unadulterated. Joy.

I see wide-eyed strangers inquisitively starring at us, her. Often. As she's gotten older and as word about what autism is has pervaded our culture, I see more of those stares accompanied with smiles. And often a wink at me–of which I'm never sure exactly what that means. I think that perhaps you can gage a person's heart by how they respond to the difference of my child and that of others like her–of all disAbility stripes. Do they come…from a place of Love. Or, a place of Fear….

Unfortunately, in our culture, we tend to judge a person's worth within our society by what they can deliver. Usually in terms of service or product. "At face value," it is easy to judge a person with a significant difference, such as Grace, as not being capable of such contribution. But, oh, I beg to differ. I champion that we perceive our members of differences not by the measurement of such contributions but just their being. And in this world, there is a place, indeed, for that being and the deliverance of happiness in that being.

My sister was right, when she noted this to me a few years back. This happiness–it is Grace's Gift to our World. May we continue to Open to it.