The After

I dropped my daughter off at college this week.Then I drove home without her.I knew this day was coming. I knew Olivia was ready. In fact, that's what I spent 18 years trying to accomplish. I wanted to raise a strong, capable person who could go out into the world without needing me to hold her hand.Turns out, succeeding at that can hurt like hell.On the drive to college, Olivia told me something about the way I raised her that I've waited years to hear. It made me think about the parent I've tried to be, the adults I grew up around, and why I decided a long time ago that I'd rather raise kids who respected me than make every decision based on whether they liked me.And then there's Lucas.My nonverbal son still needs me in ways his sister no longer does. He needs me to understand him, advocate for him, teach him, and sometimes simply tell him it's time to put down the iPad and go to sleep. Yet, the same philosophy I've used with Olivia has guided how I've raised him: assume he's capable, talk to him like he understands, and never stop giving him opportunities to show me what he knows.This week, something changed. Olivia left. Lucas is growing. And I came home realizing that one part of my life had ended.Now we begin the after.It's Here! Get the book – “Hi World, I’m Dad: How Fathers Can Journey to Autism Awareness, Acceptance, and Appreciation” on audio, digital, or print.Follow Us On TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Also, be sure to read the blog that started it all - Hi Blog! I'm Dad.