Waiting on a Miracle

I have a relative who works with very young children that have been diagnosed with autism. This relative told me of one particular child who had never developed speech. The child would communicate through non-verbal cues such as grunts, pointing and sometimes violent behaviors. The parents were quite despairing of ever having a child that could function within society without constant attention.

After three years of intense therapy (speech, music and others types of therapy) and education, the parents were overjoyed to hear their child say “Mama”.

I indicated that this was a rather sad thing as after all this time and effort, all the child could do was say one word.

My relative gently chided me and said that this one small miracle was certainly enough for the parents and teachers to appreciate that the struggle was worth it.

So, recognize the small miracles and if you add them all up, no matter who they occur to and when, they seem to combine almost exponentially to create something much bigger than the sum.

Today's listening pleasure (of course): Bruce Cockburn - Singles