count your blessings instead of sheep.

It has taken me a long time to get to a place where I feel truly thankful. There have been plenty of days when I have asked myself "Why is my little boy the 1 in 70 who has autism? Why can't it be someone else's son?". I still wonder sometimes what Max would be like if he didn't have autism. But more and more I am accepting that Max is Max. He is wonderful and quirky, beautiful and odd, smart and complex, and most of all, he is my gift. He is my life's work.

Without Max, I would not be who I am today. I have learned more from this little boy in the past 5 years than I learned in the previous 31 combined. He has taught me that if you believe in someone, you can help them achieve amazing things. That dreaming big is powerful, the cup is half full, and positive thinking is contagious. He has shown me that when you are quiet, you can take in so much more than when you speak, and that if you take the time to notice, everything you need to know can be found in a person's eyes.

Thank you, universe, for Max. I am a better person because he is my son. I have no idea where our journey will take us, but I know that Max will continue to bring love and light into the lives of those who know him. Happy Thanksgiving.