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| An autistic weight lifter
Love this blog from www.childsturn.com/blogs.asp
I watched my kid bench press 275 pounds today. He's 5'11", 195 pounds of truly ripped muscle. I don't recall whether I ever benched that much weight but I think I probably got close, not 275 but maybe 245 or so. He got off the bench with a huge smile on his face - it was a personal best. He didn't gloat about lifting the weight, he just kind of smiled and slapped me on the back. It was like hanging out with an old college buddy. He unloaded the weights and went on to his next exercise.
17 years ago, I watched the same kid being born. He was our first child and we eagerly anticipated every step of his development. We had the books, the room, the toys, everything we were told we needed to get. I even had the video camera to show the world his every biological step. My wife and I were ready.
14 years ago, the same kid was diagnosed with autism. It was heart-wrenching. We cried and cried and cried. When we were done, we started the same process that we had begun prior to his birth, i.e., we read the books, and consulted with the professionals, and researched, and did everything that we were told we needed to do. It was difficult. Many times, I thought I couldn't go on, that it was too much to bear. But bear it we did. He had all of the symptoms that are normally associated with autism: the hand flapping, staring at walls, aloof distant demeanor. I wonderered if he'd ever be "normal", if he'd ever be able to do the things that I had so enjoyed as a child. I prayed a lot and then got down on the floor to work with him, just as my wife did.
I can't really describe to you what we did between 14 years ago and today but I watched my kid bench press 275 pounds, more than I ever did. And it felt like I was hanging with some old college buddies. What more could a dad ask for? |
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