Bob's your uncle, Bob's your dad

A father is someone who carries pictures in his wallet where his money used to be ~ author unknown

I grew up in a big family and many of my childhood memories look like this ...

... lots of kids and four brave parents, two of them dads named Bob - one my own dad, and one my Uncle Bob.

Because of  "the Bobs", I know a lot about what a dad should be: a dad is warm and kind, he spends time with you, he invests his money in his family (refer to opening quote), he tells you when you're going off track, he helps you get back on track, he leads by example, he does silly things, he laughs with his children when they point out those silly things, he loves his life and his wife and his children without reservation or boundary or time limit.

We (my brothers and sisters, cousins and I) have been fortunate to have had the wit and wisdom of "the Bobs" to support and guide us over many decades now - through good times and bad, they have always had our backs, and we have depended on them time and again to help us find our way.

This past week, my Uncle Bob passed away quite suddenly, leaving a hole in the family the size of his large and generous heart. But he didn't leave things undone. Every day, with words and actions, he let his family know how much he loved them. It's this final lesson from my Uncle Bob that I'm holding in my heart - to live my life fully and love my family extravagantly, to leave no room for regrets.

 

 

So on Father's Day, take time to show your dad you love him.

Leave no room for regrets.

Michael's Father's Day Gift

Here's a story that Michael's mom sent me via e-mail yesterday. Michael wrote it for his dad, and with the family's kind permission, I am sharing the story with all of you:

First, an introduction by Michael's mom:

"Soon, he will have enough stories for a book. About six months ago Michael threw out an important wire and (his dad) was very upset, but there's been no talk of it since. How thoughtful of Michael to want to replace that wire ;-)"

And now, Michael's Father's Day e-mail to his dad:

"Dear, Dad,

I made a note for you for Father's day. I hope you like this.

Love your favorite son, Michael

It was Father's Day on Sunday, & Michael wanted something really special for his father. "Hmmm," said Michael. "I wonder what should I give my dad?" He decided if he wants a new wire for dad's radio. He looked at The Canada Computers Store for help. He looked & looked & looked & looked but the wire wasn't there. "Aw, tarter sauce!" cried Michael. "The wire is gone!" He went inside Future Shop & he finally found the wire in the wire box. He paid for it & puts it in his pocket & took it home. "I like my new present," said his father. "Awww, it was nothing," said Michael. "I promise never to throw the wire away again." His father doesn't really like the pink wire. He likes the black wire."

And a final comment from Michael's mom:

"In this story, we realized that the reason Michael threw out the wire was because it was pink.

Love how these stories give us insight into why Michael does what he does."

A beautiful illustration of the importance of opening alternate communication channels in autism, so that ASD individuals can express the reasoning behind the actions that can sometimes get them into trouble ... and there's always a reason.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Happy Father's Day 2013!

It's Father's Day today, and I'd like to share some pictures that express the love of two sons for their dads:

First, from Adam. As you will know if you have been following this blog, Adam is a young adult with autism who has limited verbal language. He expresses his more complex and detailed thoughts through his drawing. The following pictures were drawn in 2001, after he took a trip to Disney + with his dad. You'll see that in Adam's world, "Dad = Fun":




Adam and Dad head off on the airplane to begin their adventure

They can't wait to get to Disney

They also go to Epcott and MGM

Of course, no trip is complete without a stop at McDonalds

It's clear that Adam connects his dad with good times

Second, from Kevin. He is also a young adult with autism who has limited verbal language and uses drawing to communicate. His favourite drawing subjects are Mr. Bean, Teddy and his dad, mom and brother. Here are a couple of pictures of Dad from recent months:

Music is one of Kevin's favourite things, so he puts that together with Dad (one of his favourite guys)

Here's Dad keeping himself fit

... and here's Dad admiring Kevin's artistic talent (he is one of Kev's biggest fans)

When you're the dad of a non-verbal person, they may not be able to tell in conventional ways how much you mean to them ... but if you expand your view, you may be able to see the subtle and unique ways they are trying to say "Dad, you're the best - I see all the things you do for me and I love you for it".

 

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!!!