It's 8:00PM on November 3, 2008 and Sam (7 yrs old) was getting into bed when he asked for me to tell him a story about New York City. I proceeded to tell him about the Broadway Musical "Legally Blond" that we saw a few weeks ago. As I described the set, the theatre, the weather during our walk from Times Square, and finally the plot of the musical he asked, "How do we fall in love?"

My heart jumped and a smile spread across my face. He is so innocent, so pure. In Sam's short life he has already endured some very challenging and crushing blows. Tonight, this sweet little boy who cares so deeply about people wanted me to tell him how we fall in love. What an honor. This was a life moment, a true Dad moment that I will remember forever. I asked God to give me the right words so I wouldn't screw this opportunity up.

When people think of Autism they often conjure up images of kids rocking and banging their heads on walls, staring off into space with no connection to the world, they think of adults that live in hospitals who are lonely and heavily medicated. Although we all know these cases do exist, we are also privileged to be members of a community who truly care for one another, who celebrate the joys of everyday life together, and that cherish the possibilities that each day brings. As an Autism Community, we see no international borders, no problem to be left for someone else to deal with, we see each other as a connection to what is and what can be. All of us have been given the chance to see the purest and most beautiful expressions of unconditional love and that is something we should be very thankful for.

One of the hardest parts of Sam receiving the diagnosis of Autism was the immediate hole it left in my heart that he may never know true love. I feared he might never experience love or find that special someone to share a lifetime with. Now, five years later, I realize that those fears were not warranted but were a necessary part of the grieving process and learning to deal with this new reality.

Love has played such a monumental role in my life. "Falling in love" is not planned out or designed, it happens and there is something magical about the process that words simply can not describe. It's that feeling in your heart and in your mind that comes over you when you are with that special person. Above all others, this person is the one you are focused on and care for so deeply.

When you open your heart to possibilities it allows for great things to happen. Vulnerability is not an easy thing to do. We can't wish for others to love us as we love them. Love is not a switch you turn on or off. Falling out of love is real and it happens. Over time people can grow apart and feelings can change. All the hoping, wishing and praying sometimes doesn't change this. The heart is a mystery and love has caused countries to rise and fall, wars to start and stop, and will continue to be a prominent and driving force behind all things that we do.

When I was in pre-school I had my first crush....my first experience of "falling in love" with a little girl named Monika. Throughout grade school I fell in love with a number of incredibly sweet girls who I can say, without any hesitation, have grown into incredible women and mothers. Love takes work, it takes time and when it is real you know it. It saddens me to know that the divorce rate among parents with children who have Autism is over 80%. For many, they fell in love with hopes of a life that the envisioned together. No one plans for something to take them so far of course that they can't recover or create a new vision. The true bonds of love are tested to their fullest. Angie and I can attest, the road is extremely difficult. The daily tasks, therapies, doctors, hospitals, the public, financial costs, the overwhelming and sometimes excruciating emotional pain.....it can play havoc with the strongest of marriages. As so many have told us, love does not always conquer all things.

One of the greatest gifts in life is to have loved and been loved. I feel complete in that area of my life. I know that Sam understands what love is and will experience the joys of love throughout his life. It won't be easy, he will get hurt along the way, and it's up to me and Angie to be there to help him along. We've learned a few things about love along the way. Life's not perfect and neither is love. It's the journey that matters.