Thankful

Since becoming a father the people I appreciate most are the people who treat my kids the best. If you have kids, you probably feel the same way, whether you have acknowledged it before or not. In another time, I likely appreciated myself more than other people. You know, that American way of perceiving yourself as a self made man (or woman) despite the army of people that raised you, fed you, taught you and provided you opportunity. It was not until recently that I actually realized that I was only a part of my success. (I use that term in a limited sense.) That realization was only after I had children and realized how many people are important in a child's life.

My wife and I are blessed to live in a place where children are cherished. Both our kids have special needs. we have become part of the DS community locally. We keep up with a number of parents in other locales who have to fight kicking and screaming to get their children what they deserve. Here, my wife and I never have to ask, argue, beg or threaten. Our children are provided with what they need simply because some caring loving people see to it. I never realized how important these people are. I do now.

My oldest son is quite the charmer. At school, he is known in all hallways, by kids of sll grades, parents and teachers. ("I'm known in all five burroughs. Ask anyone about Lucky from Mulberry Street.") Everyone greets Ethan with a good morning. How cool is that? It is the product again of a deliberate effort to make sure all the kids in the school are treated as special and included. Man, that is cool.

Ethan has a full time aid that has tended to his extra needs for the past three years. Thank you. He has a parent friend who greets him everyone morning with a smile and a hug, sometimes helps walk him in. Thank you. He has teachers that consider his best interest as their foremost priority. Thank you. He has friends at school that accept him in the sweetest way. Thank you.

Nothing is better than to see people treat your children like the best thing in the world. It's the thing that makes me happiest in life and more thankful than anything.