I see all you amazing Dads

I see all you amazing Dads and all the amazing things you do………...

I see you when you play the same video game with your son over and over and over and over

I see you hunched over countless times tying and retying and tying your daughter’s shoelaces

I see you when you toilet train your son for weeks, for months, for years

I see you when you cut every tag out of every article of clothing your child has ever owned

I see you when your daughter has a meltdown in a public place……...and I see all the judgmental

faces of bystanders silently staring at you

I see you when you make a frenzied trip to the grocery store because you have to buy the kind of yogurt that has a pull-tab on it, not the kind that has a normal lid, because your son won’t eat that kind of yogurt

I see you when you ruthlessly survey any public place for any sensory stimuli that could trigger and set off your son

I hear you when you say that you haven’t had a full night’s sleep in weeks, months, years

I hear you when you skip fishing trips, golf, fantasy football drafts on the weekends, because of your dedication to your child

I hear you when your wife/partner vents to you, and you have no one to vent to

I feel you when people offer you unsolicited advice, and you politely smile and nod, and don’t have the energy to reply, “that’s not how it works….”

I feel you when you work your hardest at your job, and work even harder at home

I celebrate with you when your child hits a milestone you never thought possible - speaking, dressing, using the bathroom, going to school….you and your child deserve a gold medal

I see you, I hear you, I feel you, I celebrate you……...and I am here for you…...autismdadvocate.org