When I learned about Main Street, I breathed a sigh of relief. You see, I am a mother of two active, young boys, ages 4 and 6, and my eldest is a differently wired kid. When he was 18 months old, he wasn’t babbling and starting to talk like the other babies we knew. After many doctor appointments and evaluations, we learned that he might not be on the typical path we had always imagined. I spent much of my time researching therapies and schools, and had a lot of sleepless nights worrying what his future would look like. All I wanted was a crystal ball that would tell me what his future held.
Over the last few years, with a lot of work and perseverance, my son has found his words but, as all parents of kids who may not fit the “traditional mold”, I still worry about what lies ahead. I worry he will experience the loneliness that so many with differences deal with, both as a child and possibly as an adult. Knowing that Main Street exists helps me sleep at night. At Main Street events, I am surrounded by families who have experienced the same sleepless nights – families who were once in my same shoes wondering what the future would hold for their son or daughter. But most importantly, I see families who are successfully navigating this journey and a community in which adults with differences can be happy and thrive. The Main Street community has been an incredible gift to my family and one I will always support.
