Engaging Life

Who am I?

That’s actually a part of the purpose behind this blog.  See, I’m still working out the answer to that question.  Here are a few of the things I do know:  I am …

• very happily married.
• the father of an amazing boy.
• a Christian, and therefore student of the Bible.
• the Sunday morning Bible class teacher of an inspiring group of young men and women (the high school group).
• a telecommuting computer programmer.
• at a crossroad in my life.

In the last couple year or so I found myself in the midst of a premature mini mid-life crisis.  I started to ask myself some pretty hard questions.  Am I doing something meaningful?  Am I making a difference?  If not, why not and what should I be doing?

After a lot of thought and many discussions with my wife Chrystine, I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t living up to my potential.  I’ve just coasted through life for so long.  Life has always just been easy for me.  Looking back now however, I can see the seed of change was actually planted in the summer of 2000.  That’s when my son Brendon was diagnosed with autism.  Life has never been easy for him.  He’s had to struggle to do things that so many (myself included) take for granted.  When Bren was about 20 months old, he regressed.  He lost most of his language and turned inward pretty quickly.  It was hard to engage him.  I strongly believe that God led us to the people we needed (the people Bren needed) who could teach us how to engage Bren and woo him back into our world.  Chrystine and I were both blessed with amazing jobs that afforded us unparalleled flexibility to be so involved with Bren’s therapy and development.  Through the following years, his progress has been nothing short of amazing.  And through those years, this amazing kid taught this laid-back know-it-all programmer lessons about life that I could never have imagined.  Bren taught me that if you are willing to engage, to be truly committed, the rewards are beyond comprehension.

So, I hope to take the lessons I continue to learn through my son to help make a difference in the lives of others.  I’ll be starting grad school in August (2007).  I’m going to get my MS in Rehab Counseling so I can help my son and my family overcome whatever obstacles we face; and so I can work with children with autism and their families, passing on what I learn to others.  I pray that God blesses me and my family as we face new challenges, and that he will bless other children and their families through me.

“Never think that a handful of committed people cannot make a difference.  In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Linda Ellerbe