05/19/2026
Today I voted. 🇺🇸 🍑 🙏 Regardless of what side of the aisle you stand on, or if you don’t stand on either, being able to vote is a privilege many people around the world don’t have.
As autism parents, caregivers, educators, therapists, grandparents, and advocates, we all want something better for the future even if we don’t always agree on how to get there.
But I’ll be honest… I miss when people could disagree without hating each other.
I miss when respect mattered.
When law and order mattered.
When character mattered.
I miss when kids were taught that you can disagree with leadership and still respect the office. That conversations didn’t have to turn cruel. That people weren’t reduced to labels before they were seen as human beings.
And maybe because I’m old enough to vividly remember 9/11… I also remember 9/12.
I remember Americans standing together.
Flags everywhere. Neighbors helping neighbors.
People putting differences aside because suddenly none of those differences mattered as much as being UNITED.
That version of America is still in there somewhere.
I believe that. 🙏😊
Working with autism families across this country every day, I see the very best of people. Families exhausted but still fighting. Parents advocating tirelessly for their children. Moms sitting on waiting lists for services while trying to hold their families together. Caregivers doing everything they can with very little support.
And that’s exactly why accountability matters.
Families who truly need help should not have to struggle harder because of fraud, waste, abuse, or systems that fail the very people they were designed to support.
That’s not political. That’s human.
One of the things autism parenting has taught me over the years is this:
Every person deserves dignity.
Every voice deserves respect.
And every family deserves to feel seen.
Even when we disagree. Especially then.
As Jordan’s mom and guardian, I’ve also had to think deeply about what autonomy and fairness really mean. Years ago, I wrote openly about why Jordan does not vote. Not because his voice doesn’t matter, it absolutely does but because I believe voting should reflect a person’s own understanding, values, and choices, not simply mirror mine.
That perspective shaped the way I see so much in life. Respecting individuality.Protecting dignity.
And honoring people for who they are, not who the world expects them to be.
At the end of the day, I don’t think most people want division. I think most people want safety.
Opportunity. Honesty. Support for families.
And a country that feels united again.
Today I voted. Not out of hatred. Not out of fear.
But out of hope for better days ahead. 🇺🇸🙏
