The Parable of the Cave

Life is difficult and sometimes so overwhelming we forget to focus on those things we are doing well. My oldest daughter, Jennifer is a wonderful mother of two beautiful boys. She works hard at being a mother and these boys test her limits. Her oldest son, Cameron, has autism. He is the cutest little boy you have ever seen. He has large blue eyes and curly blonde hair. Having autism brings difficult moments. Every Memorial Day our family meets in Island Park, Id at our cabin for the first outing of the summer. The cabin is small and is easily filled but we love being there together. It can get loud and busy, which can be frustrating for Cameron. On this night, at the cabin, it came bed time for Cameron. Given the noise and play, he was not interested in sleep. Nevertheless, it was bedtime and Jenny has learned that consistency is the key to success when dealing with autism. Not long after Jenny took Cameron upstairs to bed we could hear his crying and then he started kicking the bedroom door for more attention. I listened for a short time and then decided to go upstairs to see if there was anything I could do to help. I found Jenny sitting on the top stair not far from the bedroom door. As I sat next to her, I noticed she was crying. What happened next broke my heart. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Dad, I'm not a very good mother am I?" In the heat of difficult times we tend to judge ourselves too harshly. Neal A. Maxwell has said, "You are probably doing better than you think." I have taken great comfort in that statement.