I'm Thankful For ... Jerry Seinfeld!

Yep, you read it right.  This Thanksgiving I was a little thankful for Jerry Seinfeld.  And not because I love a good Seinfeld show.  Which I do.  Recently Jerry has taken some heat because he said he thought he was 'on the spectrum' during an interview with Brian Williams of NBC NightlyNews.   Meaning, the Autism Spectrum.  Then because of that heat he retracted what he said and then said he wasn't actually medically diagnosed as having Autism. He said he meant he thought he understood what it was like to be on the upper end of the Autism Spectrum.  He gets it.  And honestly, I'm thankful for someone who says, "I get it."  There aren't many people who get my boy.

Recently, my husband and I both separately complimented a young woman because she "gets" Evan.  She didn't feel the need to ask 500 questions about why Evan is the way he is.  She didn't act scared of his different behavior.  She didn't have a problem just glancing to one of us when she didn't understand something he said.  Every moment wasn't a teaching moment or therapy of some kind.  She had fun with playful teasing just like she would any other of the kids that were there.  She let Evan be who Evan was meant to be.  And it is obvious Evan responds to this woman and the way she treats him.  He seeks her out.  He wants to spend time with her.  She makes no demands of him to be something he isn't.  She loves him for who he is.  And because of this, he wants to be around her.  Don't we all want this?

Times like that are rare for us.  Those people are rare. 

So if Jerry Seinfeld says he relates to Autism.  More power to him.  I do keep in mind he is a celebrity.  So unless he comes over for dinner I may never know his true reason for saying what he said.  (I hope he doesn't come over for dinner.  I think his wife is a way better cook than I am.  I know, most people cook better than I do.)  I'm thankful Jerry says he understands the way those that act a little different are behaving.  

I'm even more thankful for those people in my life that love my Evan and love my family for who we are ~ the quirks, super loud 'WooHoo's', occasional hair pulling and not so nice screaming.  All of it.  Those people that make no demands.  Those that love us for who we are.  I'm thankful for you.

Bible Verse I'm Loving Today:
1 Corinthians 13:5

"It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."