autismdadinthe603

I’m the master of loving the holiday season but if it wasn’t for my wife, Kellie, I don’t know if the menorah would be found or if a tree would be put up. Luckily for me, she is on top of this and pretty much everything in our home.

In the house I was raised, we celebrated Hanukkah so I spent my childhood being annoyed that I didn’t celebrate Christmas. It drove me nuts. I almost considered interviewing Rabbi’s in Southern New Hampshire to see if it would be kosher to just get a tree and have presents under it like everyone else.

Fast forward to having my own family, I was adamant to enjoy Christmas at any cost. I’m talking a real tree, ornaments, lights, tinsel, egg nog, and presents! Lots of presents!

I just thought it was so easy to understand. You make a list, you decorate, you sit on Santa’s lap at the mall and when the kids go to bed, you watch A Christmas Story.

Here was the thing. Sawyer didn’t get it. He didn’t get Santa. He didn’t care about Rudolph. He really didn’t care about presents.

December was just another month to him. Christmas was just another day. It felt like he was getting robbed of another thing. The heartache in watching your child not care about what the majority of the child population was just that final end of the year punch to the gut.

We tried. We went to see Santa. We encouraged Sawyer to open presents beside his brother and sister. Though the spark wasn’t there.

It wasn’t there at 2, nor 3, not a 4, hardly at 5, but at age 6, we’ve made it!!!! Not only does Sawyer know what’s happening, he’s counting down the days!

He opens his Advent Calendar! He builds gingerbread houses! He searches for his Elves on the Shelf! He even made a list!

So if you are celebrating this holiday season, think of Sawyer. He has discovered the magic that I’ve been searching for all along.