I can still remember the first time I saw my little cousin who is on the spectrum. A couple of years ago, both our families had gone to India to meet up during winter break. My parents had always told me about his disability and I knew that when I would meet him for the first time it wouldn’t be “normal” and how though being a 6-year-old, he would mentally be half his age. At my grandma’s house, the first time I saw him since he was born, all I remember were hearing him screaming. I noticed how difficult it was for him to calm down from that state and how his parents were completely calm during the entire situation even though everyone down our street could hear him. I asked my aunt later in the day if she ever thought about how others might view my cousin and she replied with, “ initially I did however, as a mother my only concern is to take care of my child and that regardless of the way he acts. It’s never his fault for having his disability and in fact, that's what makes him so special.” Her words have stuck with me to this day and though I haven't seen my relatives in a while due to the global pandemic I’m proud to be his cousin because he is just like us.
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