For Luke's second birthday party four years ago we played a lot of outdoor games with friends and family. One of the highlights of the party was Blackjack the pony we had booked for pony rides. The kids thought it was the craziest thing having Blackjack walking around the backyard and getting to ride on him for as long as they wanted. There was so much to do that it was no big deal to wait for the next turn. This party was a lot of fun...and it was for a two year old.

You never know when a memory is going to be so burned into your memory that you can call upon it in an instant and still remember the sounds of laughter, the warm sun on your skin, and the feeling of joy that runs through you. This was an important time for our family. Luke was turning two and Sam was five. We were in the full autism swing and our days were often filled with outrageous tantrums and loads of therapy. Driving from one appointment to the other was something that Angie and Sam mastered. When Luke was born, he just joined in the routine and at two years old he had already been through a lot, seen a lot. Blackjack was special and unique, this was Luke's turn to be the center of attention for a change and his party was very symbolic.

When the party was wrapping up and the kids were all worn out, it was time for Blackjack to get ready to go home. All the kids, friends, and family packed up and headed on their way. Blackjack's handler had taken him to the front of our house to load him into the trailer. After hugs and goodbyes, I walked around to the front to see if there was anything to pick up and I noticed something odd. There, on our front lawn, sitting on the curb was Blackjack and his handler. Right in the middle of our suburban neighborhood stood this beautiful, black pony awaiting his safe ride home. The trailer and owner had left to pick up a few things and were stuck in traffic. I asked if she wanted to bring Blackjack to the backyard and she said, "No, Blackjack seems to like watching the cars go by. He seems happy."

I couldn't resist the urge to walk out and sit down with Blackjack and wait for his ride. It may come to a surprise to some of you not from Texas but most of us really don't know that much about horses and animals. We all don't live on farms and milk cows. That is all really cool stuff but I am a city guy and although we live in the suburbs now, I can tell you it's more common to see people walking their golf clubs down to the course than it is to see a horse standing in the front yard. It was a bit symbolic sitting their on my front lawn with this pony named Blackjack. Every day people drive by homes in their neighborhoods, walk down hallways lined with doors to reach their apartments, and rarely do they know what is going on with their neighbors. Now that 1 out of every 100 children will be diagnosed with autism, I suspect more and more people will start to learn what living with autism is really like. But like most children and families with special needs, it's easy to feel like people drive by and only see the differences and not the similarities. As I sat there with Blackjack and watched all the heads turn in the cars that drove past I thought to myself.....this is a good representation of our life.