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| An Unexpected Joy | Mary Sharp, M.D.
The Gift of Parenting a Challenging Child
Lost and Found.
Nic has autism. He’s a handsome boy who only wants to wear his Batman pj’s and cowboy boots—preferably at the same time. He’s trying to learn, to catch up, but with Nic everything comes more slowly. He seems lost in his own isolated world. Often he can’t express himself verbally, but his big brother sees that Nic “talks with his eyes.”
Mary is Nic’s mom. She is a family practice doctor from Michigan who for the past twelve years has vacillated between denial, depression, rage, and despair. And now, acceptance. She has come to see her son as a true gift from God. But it hasn’t been easy. With a tender strength, her memoir offers:
- A sense that someone else knows what you’re going through
- Help in dealing with the inevitable emotional and spiritual struggles
- Insights into pitfalls to avoid and issues to address
“We have learned to be thankful for the simplest things. All our assumptions were wiped away. In this affluent culture, drenched in media images, material wealth, and general over busy-ness, this is a gift. We had the excess scraped off, and I believe our family is closer and more balanced because of it,” writes the author.
Mary Sharp consumed the literature on autism but found nothing in it that soothed the ache in her soul. In her own book, she tells it like it is, from tantrums in the movie theater to changing diapers on a six-year-old. And she does so with the humor and compassion of one “who’s been there.” Whether or not you have children with autism or other special needs, The Gift of Autism will speak to your heart. It is a story of realistic hope and emergence—the pain of feeling lost and the joy of being found.
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