"My son is 17 years old today. 17 years of ups and downs, of learning how to understand an autistic mind. Learning that even though the symbol for autism is a puzzle piece, he’s not actually missing any of his pieces. He’s complete within himself, his mind just operates at an elevation beyond most peoples level of comfort or understanding. He’s human evolution." Brenshevia Boone
 | He’s taught me there’s more than one way to do things and view the world. He’s taught me patience, problem solving, and creative thinking. He’s taught me that it’s ok to hug the people you love. You won’t die from being touched. He taught me to be a strong person, a true mother in every sense of the word, an outspoken, unapologetic, and a fiercely aggressive advocate for him against people who thought he was “strange” or “special” or “different”. In learning how to stand up for him, I also learned how to stand up for myself. |
| I will be ever grateful to this amazing kid. I remember so well how cute and chubby and little he was. And now he’s like a foot taller than me, has gigantic feet, & eats everything. He didn’t want to talk at first and everyone was worried. He didn’t start talking until he was almost 4. I knew he would when he was ready. And now he has a voice as big and deep as his father. He’s also so well spoken, and speaks with such eloquence and grace and perfect grammar. Having a conversation with him is such an experience. He can literally talk to anyone with complete comfort and no self consciousness. |  |
 | I can remember this time when he was about 6 or 7 years old and I took him to the park. He was running around like he lost his mind and I was just doing my best to keep up with him. Then I sat down for a few minutes and it got quiet. I panicked and started looking around for him again. He was on the swings being pushed by a teenage boy with a group of his friends. Some boys where swinging as well and some were sitting on the ground looking up at Jonathon while he was being pushed. They were ALL having a very animated conversation about Pokémon. Jonathon, even at that young age, was an EXPERT. Had almost 1000 cards in his collection and had memorized ALL their names, evolutions, strengths, weaknesses and everything. They were AMAZED at how much he knew. They were all at ease, just hanging out, laughing and talking about Pokémon stuff with this teeny tiny little elementary age boy right in the middle of them like he was one of the gang. THAT’S the type of person my son is. He can bring people together, put them at ease, make them smile, and make them THINK. |
This amazing boy is MY son. And I’m honored GOD chose me to be his mother. HE makes no mistakes, and HE knew how much I needed this special boy in my life.
Happy 17th Birthday kiddo. I love you forever and always and forever again.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Brenshevia Boone is a talented and well respected fiber artist I've come to know over the years. She openly shares her fiber wisdom and parenting journey with others. You can find her on Facebook at Snerb Yarn and Fiber or on Instagram at snerbyarn.
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