“Special Interests” – A Poem

(This was originally posted on my Facebook page several months ago but I am thinking about it today as H is happily playing with his carnival toys!)

[Image is a picture of several carnival toys, arranged carefully, with the text “Special Interests”.]

SPECIAL INTERESTS

Your whole body exudes joy and your soul reverberates with excitement
As you sit and organize your carnival rides.
Each has a place; the cars are in attendance; the people are arranged around and on the rides.

You rock and pound your heels on the floor, clap and flap your hands
And squeal and chatter in excited tones.
I may not understand the words you are saying but I feel them and your cadence makes your absolute ecstasy clear.

Turn on the lights on this ride and that one, spin them in turn
And stare at the moving, flashing parts with your nose half an inch away.
The light show and spinning objects draw you into a magical place. I watch you in awe, love bursting forth from my chest.

I am committing these sweet childhood moments to memory and I draw upon them in times of doubt or when others question whether we should be “indulging” your special interests.

I pray that you will always have something that makes you as happy as you are now.
Your beautiful perfection in this moment overwhelms me completely.
You will never be a collection of deficits, my sweet boy, no matter how others perceive you or what “evaluators” write on paper.

Your brain is beautiful and amazing and bright and inquisitive and full of imagination and possibilities.
I see you. I see YOU. I love you, and I will spend my life making sure others see how incredible you are, too.

 

#neurodiversity #celebrateneurodiversity #autismacceptance #specialinterests