Tears streaming down my face. This is heartbreaking and hope-filled and powerful and completely reoriented my heart and gaze this morning. I love you, friend. And I love Cannon. Gadds are praying ❤️❤️❤️
The tears won't stop. I had to stop reading and step away, but couldn't stay away for long. Your words called to me like a much needed balm for my hurting heart. I'm sure uncontrollable sobbing doesn't sound like a compliment, but Katie, please know that your writing, your essays, your blogs, your book, all of it, helps me feel seen and known and less alone in this very isolating life of disabilities. This week had been hard. Every day is hard. I wanted to give up on the phone calls, therapies, emails, everything disability related, but your words brought me back. I needed this. Thank you. I'm still crying, I'm still overwhelmed, but I'm no longer hopeless. I've remembered what matters. Thank you.
Oh Crystal, goodness, this comment brought tears to me eyes. Connecting with other mamas like you and knowing that we understand one another’s life in such a unique way is truly a grace to me. Sending you love and prayers today.
Thank you, Katie. I’ll be thinking about this for a long, long time. The life of faith I imagined was also not what it turned out to be for me. While very different from your day to day in some ways, your words spoke encouragement to my weariness today. Thank you.
Thanks for telling me that, Meg 💛 I know everyone has a different brand of hard, and I’m thankful for your friendship, and to see glimpses of you living out faithfully, yours.
Katie, I don’t live in the world of disability except for through you and I found tears streaming down my face as I read this. I want to take some of the pain and burden off of you. I don’t want this heartache to be. Full stop. I feel powerless to help as I even struggle to bear up under the weight of my own life, but I know that God sees all of it, so I’m just praying for you...today and often. Thank you for sharing the very real hard stuff of your days.
Thank you for sharing. I'm a special education social worker in a preschool and am also on our school ASD team. I pray daily for all our parents because I know it's not easy having a child with a disability. I absolutely love and adore all the kids I work with even when it's hard. And I pray that I'm able to be Jesus to them and their families everyday.
I'm mom to 5 yr old autistic twin boys and I'm always searching for special needs moms who can put what we're going through into words. No one does it better than you. Thanks for writing about your beautiful son. I know God led me to your writing. Praying for you and your son. Thank you for writing.
“And the Lord sent me to a place where children struggle with anything and everything–listening, eating, talking, coping– where they (and sometimes their parents) are misunderstood and dying to explain themselves, where phone calls for the right services are long and unclear, where welcome is not always found but when it is, it is absolutely cherished.” Holy ground. Your words are art.
Oh my goodness, I can't even describe how beautiful this is. Tears streaming, streaming down my face the whole time. God bless you, Katie, and your precious Cannon. You are doing hard, hard, and beautiful work.
I feel like I always comment on your posts surrounding Autism, but it always just hits right at home for me. Thank you for being so open and honest. Everything you've written here I am relating to in this season. Your writing makes me feel less alone.
I sat down with my coffee this morning to catch up on my substack reads, and found this. My teen son with autism and I too are living in a place of uncertainty and anxiety right now, trying to find a good fit for his education. I have prayed continuously for God to show us the way forward, and give us peace for whatever that way may be. Your words are such a gift, and opened my heart to the reality that I am right where God meant me to be in this season; this is my work and God is alongside us. Thank you.
Such a beautiful piece--capturing the struggles and harsh realities of disability, while also clearly holding onto the One who is with you in it. Thank you for sharing, friend. May you feel the Lord as your helper in very tangible ways today. Praying for you and Canon.
Thank you for this glimpse into your life and Cannon's life. Thank you for helping me think how I can offer welcome to those who are often overlooked or dismissed.
Katie, I read this with tears in my eyes. Thank you for sharing this with us, for letting us into the sacred space of your life and work and calling. I’m undone at how God has answered your heart’s desire--at the ways God tends to surprise us with the ways He answers our prayers--at the ways some of those surprising answers are so hard and holy all at once. I will think on this article a long time. Your words here are powerful in their honesty.
Tears streaming down my face. This is heartbreaking and hope-filled and powerful and completely reoriented my heart and gaze this morning. I love you, friend. And I love Cannon. Gadds are praying ❤️❤️❤️
It’s a grace to be loved by the Gadds 💛
The tears won't stop. I had to stop reading and step away, but couldn't stay away for long. Your words called to me like a much needed balm for my hurting heart. I'm sure uncontrollable sobbing doesn't sound like a compliment, but Katie, please know that your writing, your essays, your blogs, your book, all of it, helps me feel seen and known and less alone in this very isolating life of disabilities. This week had been hard. Every day is hard. I wanted to give up on the phone calls, therapies, emails, everything disability related, but your words brought me back. I needed this. Thank you. I'm still crying, I'm still overwhelmed, but I'm no longer hopeless. I've remembered what matters. Thank you.
Oh Crystal, goodness, this comment brought tears to me eyes. Connecting with other mamas like you and knowing that we understand one another’s life in such a unique way is truly a grace to me. Sending you love and prayers today.
Thank you, Katie. I’ll be thinking about this for a long, long time. The life of faith I imagined was also not what it turned out to be for me. While very different from your day to day in some ways, your words spoke encouragement to my weariness today. Thank you.
Thanks for telling me that, Meg 💛 I know everyone has a different brand of hard, and I’m thankful for your friendship, and to see glimpses of you living out faithfully, yours.
Katie, I don’t live in the world of disability except for through you and I found tears streaming down my face as I read this. I want to take some of the pain and burden off of you. I don’t want this heartache to be. Full stop. I feel powerless to help as I even struggle to bear up under the weight of my own life, but I know that God sees all of it, so I’m just praying for you...today and often. Thank you for sharing the very real hard stuff of your days.
Thank you Leah! I’m humbled by the kindness in this response 💛
Thank you for sharing. I'm a special education social worker in a preschool and am also on our school ASD team. I pray daily for all our parents because I know it's not easy having a child with a disability. I absolutely love and adore all the kids I work with even when it's hard. And I pray that I'm able to be Jesus to them and their families everyday.
Your work is so important, thanks for being there 💛
I'm mom to 5 yr old autistic twin boys and I'm always searching for special needs moms who can put what we're going through into words. No one does it better than you. Thanks for writing about your beautiful son. I know God led me to your writing. Praying for you and your son. Thank you for writing.
Hugs to you, Emmy 💛 locking arms with you in this work!
“And the Lord sent me to a place where children struggle with anything and everything–listening, eating, talking, coping– where they (and sometimes their parents) are misunderstood and dying to explain themselves, where phone calls for the right services are long and unclear, where welcome is not always found but when it is, it is absolutely cherished.” Holy ground. Your words are art.
😭 thank you my friend. God gave me such a gift in your friendship.
Oh my goodness, I can't even describe how beautiful this is. Tears streaming, streaming down my face the whole time. God bless you, Katie, and your precious Cannon. You are doing hard, hard, and beautiful work.
Katherine! Thank you my friend. Your words means so much to me!
I feel like I always comment on your posts surrounding Autism, but it always just hits right at home for me. Thank you for being so open and honest. Everything you've written here I am relating to in this season. Your writing makes me feel less alone.
Hugs to you, mama 💛
This is spectacular. 💕 Thank you for sharing this treasure.
Thanks for reading!
I sat down with my coffee this morning to catch up on my substack reads, and found this. My teen son with autism and I too are living in a place of uncertainty and anxiety right now, trying to find a good fit for his education. I have prayed continuously for God to show us the way forward, and give us peace for whatever that way may be. Your words are such a gift, and opened my heart to the reality that I am right where God meant me to be in this season; this is my work and God is alongside us. Thank you.
Such a beautiful piece--capturing the struggles and harsh realities of disability, while also clearly holding onto the One who is with you in it. Thank you for sharing, friend. May you feel the Lord as your helper in very tangible ways today. Praying for you and Canon.
I don’t really know what to say exactly except for thank you for writing this. 💛💛
Thank you for this glimpse into your life and Cannon's life. Thank you for helping me think how I can offer welcome to those who are often overlooked or dismissed.
Thanks for reading, Erin!
This made me weep. The school principal in particular. Wow, what a remarkable picture of God’s love.
She’s incredible 💛
Katie, I read this with tears in my eyes. Thank you for sharing this with us, for letting us into the sacred space of your life and work and calling. I’m undone at how God has answered your heart’s desire--at the ways God tends to surprise us with the ways He answers our prayers--at the ways some of those surprising answers are so hard and holy all at once. I will think on this article a long time. Your words here are powerful in their honesty.
Thank you for this kindness, Kris! 💛