Today, as I was scrolling through the hundreds of photos from our Europe trip, I found myself lingering on this one picture of Matthew. I couldn’t seem to move past it.
What if Matthew had been born neurotypical? Would our lives have looked different? Would our travels have been easier? Would conversations have flowed effortlessly? Would he have gone off exploring on his own, teasing us, dreaming aloud about his future? Those thoughts come from a mother’s heart—a heart that has imagined every possibility for her child.
But then I look at this smile.
Matthew has taken us on a journey we never would have chosen, yet one that has taught us patience, unconditional love, resilience, and joy in its purest form. Because of him, we’ve learned to celebrate victories that others might overlook. We’ve discovered a world filled with extraordinary people, unexpected kindness, and a deeper appreciation for life’s simplest moments. So yes, sometimes I wonder, what if? What if Matthew came into our lives exactly as he was meant to?
And perhaps the greatest gift wasn’t that we were meant to change him—but that he was meant to change us.
We wouldn’t trade his smile for a different story.