I talk regularly about David’s mental health. Flaws isn’t a good word for the way he is, or why he is the way he is.
Even though most days I am flummoxed by what to do with his behaviors, his mind has value.
Every mind has value. Why?
With David, it is the simple things. When he wants to be helpful, regardless of the reason, you can’t find a better helper. If one of the pets is upset, he calms them down. He can calm pets for other people, especially cats, including one that is especially standoffish to anyone except her owner. He has a wicked sense of humor. He can hear conversations from 30 feet away, even if they don’t concern him. He is a voracious reader. A technology wizard.
Every mind has value, there is a purpose for everything that is in the world. Sometimes we wonder at the reason for creating the issues that David has in the way that he has them, but there must be a reason. Ours is not to reason why.
It would be altruistic of me to say that David will achieve something great one day. In fact, I could easily see him in a prison setting. I have to believe that he is a part of our family for a reason. To give voice to the cause of mental illness. To give voice to special needs children in foster care. To give voice to those kids looking for forever homes in spite of their special need.
As a family we feel the impact of having David in our lives. It isn’t always positive, and quite literally, most days are pretty awful. Yet we persevere. As a family we continue to work to get him the help and services that he needs to be the successful person that we believe that he can be. Our other children are prime examples of the helpful and caring people we had always hoped to raise. Our other children know empathy and as a result are more understanding of people with special needs. Dare I say that they are more tolerant? I am not sure.
It took David to open my eyes to the possibilities of helping others. For that, I offer David my thanks. I also offer my thanks to our other children, college age or not. They each know who they are. David has taught each of us a lesson that we should be forever thankful to have had the opportunity to learn.
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