Sometimes I wish that the world could see the little boy that I see. Now I realize that I have had several years to get to know him, and that I have a more vested interest in him than most, but still, I wish.
I wish others could see that he is so much more than a little boy who doesn't talk yet, who sometimes does things that the rest of us don't quite understand.
Last week I went to the boys' school for their Thanksgiving lunch with family and friends. And while I sat at the table with Sawyer, I couldn't help but notice the two little boys across the table from us.
They were never mean, and they never said anything directly to us. But I know those looks, and I can hear those words.
Why doesn't he talk? Why does he make those noises instead? Why does he keep getting up to instead of eating?
Simple, harmless questions. Two little boys who were simply curious. It could have been Connor and one of his little friends. In fact, Connor has asked a lot of those same questions before.
But in that moment I just kept thinking about how the rest of the world - the world that does not really know him and may never take the time to get to know him - how they see my little boy.
And it's hard. Hard to know that they only see a small part of him, that they see his differences and his challenges without bothering to see his strengths.
Because he has a smile that can light up a room, a laugh that is pure joy. He is smart, with a sneaky sense of humor. He is persistent, and always goes after what he wants. He is not afraid to fail, and he doesn't really care what anyone else thinks. He is simply who he is, and that's enough for him.
And for me. He is an amazing little boy, and I couldn't be more proud of who he is, or how hard he works every single day to make sense of a world that he doesn't always understand.
