We were in the middle of one of those grinding it out periods. Eric was doing OK... not much new to report. School had just started and he transitioned back into the groove pretty well.
My daughter came down with a mild eye infection that made her eyes slightly swollen and red. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic and some drops. She stayed home from school one day.
Then it happened.
Eric came home from school and began his daily routine of unwinding from a tough day. Somewhere in between stripping down to his underpants and demanding a juice box and pretzel rod he noticed his sister's swollen eye.
"Anna... red eyes," he said. My wife and I shared an "awww... that was cute" glance. He was more stating a fact than showing any real concern.
"Anna... lie down on couch and take medicine... feel all better." My wife and I shared a "HOLY CRAP" glance and she began to well up. Forget the beautifully constructed sentence... there was no doubt about it. He was genuinely and "typically" showing concern for his big sister.
Anna followed the little doctor's orders and lay down on the couch. Eric covered her in a blanket and handed her a pillow.
I decided to test the boundaries of our little man's compassion for his big sister. "Eric, maybe Anna needs some medicine to feel better?" Eric sprinted to the kitchen to look for some medicine for his sister. I filled a small syringe with water and handed it to him. He sprinted back to her and squirted the contents into her mouth with care.
I decided to test a little more. "Eric, maybe a juice box would make Anna feel better." Again, he sprinted to the kitchen and grabbed a juice box from his personal stash, carefully removed the plastic from the straw, inserted it into the juice box and sprinted back to his sister, handing it to her without spilling a drop.
"Eric, maybe Anna would like a pretzel rod?" Again, he returned to the kitchen, grabbed one of his favorite snacks from the cabinet, (took a small bite for himself) and presented it to his patient.
Then he just sat next to her... staring at her right in the eyes... adorably expecting her "red eyes" to heal in a matter of seconds.
My beautiful wife lost it. I hugged her and kissed her cheek and we basked for few minutes in another (greatly needed) tiny victory...
Tears of JOY for you ALL!!! ( me too )
ReplyDeletei'm crying right now! love it!
ReplyDeleteThe birth of empathy is very powerful! Our children with Autism often amaze us in what they notice and how they react to it. Good for Eric and Anna for having a wonderful sibling relationship where he is comfortable enough to share with her and she is receptive to his sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love these moments when our kids surprise us! I hope we all continue to have these wonderful moments when the character of who they'll be as adults shines through.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure you are aware of many adults with autism who see this post as something that should be written with less surprise. Not to take away from the milestone you so wonderfully illustrated, but there are many adults with autism who want parents to understand that they can feel this way and it isn't a tiny victory, but an trait that should be anticipated.
ReplyDeleteI am friends with many of these adults with autism, and what I tell them, is that parents are not sent home with much hope that their child will portray human emotions, like empathy. When I had my son 20 years ago, nothing was discussed. It was more like, take your son home and put him away.
So, while I understand and stand with you in one way, I hope you will understand that there are some adults with autism that want you to know that having autism and displaying human emotions are normal.
The most precious and beautiful things in the world is when our children surprise us with their tender hearts. Thank you for that post. My son is the very same way.
ReplyDeleteThis is so wonderful! A victory indeed :) And a precious one at that. :)
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