Greatest Treasures

I have just three things to teach:

simplicity, patience, compassion.

These are your greatest treasures.

- Lao-Tzu

We've been going through the process of getting my son, Rojo, eligible for disability services. He was sixteen last week, and we're trying to get everything in place for when he turns eighteen. As anyone that's been through this process can attest, it's re-traumatizing. It puts a giant spot light on all that he cannot do, and says nothing of what he can. Last week we got the "good" news that he qualifies. I didn't know whether to clap or cry. 

I know that the world sees my son as disabled. I know some think of him as having an intellectual disability, then there's the autism spectrum piece with a side of ADHD. I don't, for the most part, think about my son as deficient in any way. I think of him as my sage, my teacher, my in-home spiritual guru. Like Lao-Tzu says, our greatest treasures are simplicity, patience and compassion. My son embodies these, exudes these, teaches these in every way imaginable and the only way that counts - by example.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Carrie is a parent and advocate of a child with special needs and even more special gifts. She blogs at http://carrielink.blogspot.com/ where this is pretty much her favorite topic.