Hero Home
Bridging Troubled Waters
My Son Is a Hero to Me
My Son is a Hero to Me
Though he never fought in a war
Never achieved honors in academics
Never championed in sports
Yet, my son is a hero to me.
He fought to survive the addictions of his birth mother
He struggled for years to walk and run
It took years of effort for him to talk
He suffered in interpersonal relationships
Society’s norms and values terrified and confused him
He was bullied and struggled to understand cruelty
Foods, clothing, sounds, textures terrified him…
To fail at simple things again and again
Yet he chooses to live.
He chooses to truly live.
No mere existence for this young man--
He adapts to the demands of our crazy society—
Seeking ways to live within a society that discriminates,
Is inconsiderate of others,
Is materialistic and me-centered.
He found the inner courage to live his own values.
He learned to stand tall
To shake hands and look people in the eye
To take classes that he knows he will struggle to pass
To refuse drugs and degrading relationships
To recognize and refuse an uncouth culture
To care and contribute hard work to his family and community
To choose his own values and honor them.
My son is a hero to me.
Most men only face terror, suffering and death of loved ones
In war
Or late in life as aging and disease take their toll.
My son grieved the death of his sister and mother to Aids.
Having no father, he grieves the death of my father to old age.
Yet, he shares hope and humor
On a daily basis
Fighting his own feelings and thoughts.
You see…
My son is a hero to me.
He has prenatal brain damage and autism
Depression, anxiety, adhd, and yet
He gets up each day
Lost and confused and yet
Determined…
Determined…
Determined..
Determined…
To try again to make a place for himself
In this crazy social world
To contribute, to cheer others, to make them smile
To do his best for that day…
MY SON IS A HERO TO ME
Written for my adopted son in his 18th year.