By Tabitha Cabrera
Autism has a way of helping you appreciate things in a much bigger reflective way than those around you.
Parents smile and are filled with warmth the first time they hear their child sing. Their tiny voice with words that may be out of order or hard to understand, in the cadence of a familiar song.
We waited patiently to hear our son speak two words together. We waited patiently to have him request his favorite snack. We waited to hear "I love you."
At five, he started singing. He has always had sounds, echoing his favorite cartoon, or one line of a song from the T.V. but he has started singing songs without something to sing along to. He is singing in the bath, the car while playing with his cars.
It is the most adorable, beautiful song, I have ever heard.
I know that his growth is something to melt into because some may never get to hear their child sing. They may never hear hello, I love you, or a single word.
There was a time we weren't sure if we would either.
We understand non-verbal, non-speaking, and non-singing, not as person who understands being unable to speak, but as a parent, longing to give our children a way to communicate.
We still are unsure if our daughter will be able to communicate in this way. We will wait patiently for her songs, words, and requests. We will celebrate each tiny sound and know how truly amazing it is to hear our five-year-old son sing.
This is the thing about autism, the celebration is huge, and the impact of a tiny voice singing toy story in the bath imprints on our hearts because of all the silence that came before it. It imprints because you know there are others still waiting.
You can learn more about Tabitha and her crew on Instagram @peaceofautism or on the @tableforfivenoreservations Podcast.