"Superstar Dads"| Changing the World | Climbing Every Mountain

Happy Father’s Day Dad!

“Anyone can be a Father, but only someone special can be a Dad.” (anon.)

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” (Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land, 1961.)

What is a Father’s “unconditional love”?

Many people have trouble explaining “unconditional love” and “fathers.”

I remember one Hallmark commercial where an older dad said he really only understood a father’s love when he saw his son holding his new baby–his grandchild. We were fortunate to see our son, Tommy with his new daughter. That is one amazing moment that made our hearts burst with love and pride.

But when I think of my husband Tom, and the harder love, the real unconditional love, it is when he is with Aaron, our oldest son who has the label of autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Love is in the details, not the traditional big events like a new grandchild. It is in the demanding-ordinary-daily-love Tom pours into making Aaron’s life “normal” and “special” at the same time. Doing things that have to be done, when you would rather do other things.

Here is today’s example:

Dad picked up Aaron at his house at 8:30 AM today. The caregivers are going to a family reunion, so we want to give them some additional time off. After checking on his meds, asking about his toileting, Dad talked to the caregivers about our recent visit to Aaron’s medical doctor. Tom tells the staff, “Yes, you have to get the prescription filled.” And “Yes, this is now Saturday and we went to the doctor on Monday. What’s the problem?”
Tom then brings Aaron home to our house, takes him to the bathroom, cuts his fingernails, throws in some laundry (I’m still recovering from my surgery) and after an hour takes Aaron to get a haircut, go to the grocery and treat Aaron to a hamburger. Mom gets to stay home and hang out on the computer.

Later today we plan on taking Aaron swimming, and then seeing Tommy and his family to celebrate Father’s Day. We’ll take Aaron back to his house about 8:30 pm.

Dad is hoping to catch some of the US Open Golf Tournament on TV, but he fits that in between Aaron’s care.

Sure, as we celebrate Father’s Day, we’ll give Dad a couple of little presents. I’m sure our granddaughter will give him a big hug and card too. But the “Bagel Guillotine” slicer, some peanuts for the ballgame, and a new golf shirt will never be enough thanks for all the love and devotion Dad gives to his sons–every day.

Happy Father’s Day Dad! We love you unconditionally too.

Amplify the positive outliers

This week Seth Godin wrote an interesting post about creating change. He suggests that the easiest way is to “Amplify the positive outliers.” In other words, we don’t waste our time “extinguishing bad behaviors” and instead find “positive deviants,” positive examples of what we are trying to do, and then “give them a platform, a microphone, and public praise.” Seth says by focusing on our success stories and celebrating our superstars we will change our culture and strengthen our tribe.

In our Climbing Every Mountain community and other tribes of “inclusion” and “normalization,” we face daily examples of people promoting and building segregated schools for children with autism, segregated adult day programs, and even a new segregated “handicap-only” baseball field. These are downright depressing and steal our energy and spirit.

So let’s begin thinking of positive examples and naming our “positive deviants.” Most of the advocates and parents I know would like to be called a “positive deviant”—Yep, that fits our label system just fine. Maybe we should be pushing the psychologists to add that to the DSM, that might make better reading than saying parents are still stuck in the grief cycle, eh?

Enjoy this minute of thinking about “The Crazy Ones” who helped change the world. If I were going to make a video, I would start with the above picture of my husband Tom and Aaron, the kid with all the labels–including “son.”

Some of the other Superstars in our life who would be in my video are Dotty Foley, Ann Turnbull, Annie Bauer, Michael Valdini, Dennis Burger, Colleen Wieck, Lou Brown, Anne Donnellan, Ed Roberts, Bob Perske, Tommy and Ana Ulrich, Mary Ann Roncker, Debbie Wetzel, Patty McMahon, Madeline Will, Patty McGill Smith, Patti Hackett Hunter, Leanne Bowling, Alison Ford, and many others.

Join in the Fun

This post is dedicated to all the Superstar Dads out there who are changing the world.

In the comments, tell us: If you made a video of your “positive deviants” who would be your superstars? Not just dads, but parents, teachers, professionals, and self-advocates who you think have changed our world? Who are the people who have moved us from segregation and given us the dream of an inclusive life with our families and terrific dads?