Recently I was in Walgreen’s and as I approached the checkout counter, there was a mother struggling with a boy.  The boy was jumping up and down and yelling some indistinguishable sounds.  He seemed out of control.  Yet the mother talked softly and calmly to him while trying at the same time to place her items on the counter.

I thought to myself, “That boy needs some discipline right now, right here!”

Then a thought (from the Holy Spirit, I think) flashed onto the screen of my mind: “This child has autism.”

Immediately my attitude softened and I said to the mother, “May I help you?” I wished I would have added, “You are a kind, caring and patient mother.” Krista Mason, the mother of son with autism once told me, “Please remember that we, the parents of children with autism, enormously need support and encouragement.” Krista says that the most helpful expression communicates to parents, “You are doing a great job.  This is not easy, and we see that. How can we be helpful?”

So this is why I didn’t mind the commotion in the check-out-lane.

We are all doing the best we can. Be kind to one another.

Jane Doe

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