A few days ago, my boyfriend and I decided to take my dog, Oliver, to the dog park. Due to numerous health conditions I have, I’m trying to train Oliver to eventually be my service dog. For now, he wears a little red vest with a patch on each side that says “In Training.” He’s still a puppy (not to mention a rescue) and learning all of his commands, but I still want to take him places with me. While we were approaching the fenced in area, I hear a little boy exclaim, “Hey Dad, why does that dog have that vest on?” I was very nervous to enter the park, as I have always had to explain my disabilities to others since they are not visible. Even then, I have faced many ignorant people who view my diagnoses in a skewed light.

The little boy was very quick to approach me, and ask me all different questions about my dog. He asked questions like, “Why does he have that vest,” and “What does it say,” and “What does in training mean?” I realized he had signs of being on the autism spectrum. I sat down on the park bench, and my little buddy sat next to me. He immediately grabbed my hand. In my experiences, I know how uneasy others can be with children who have special needs, simply because there is still a stigma around disabilities. I have worked with special needs children in high school and immediately knew when he grabbed my hand it was his way of being able to connect with me. He told me his name was Patrick and that he was 7 years old in the first grade. He loves art, just like I do. I am thankful my boyfriend (also named Patrick) was there to keep an eye on the dog. I was lost in conversation with such a sweet little boy. We talked about everything from what he does in school to what he asked Santa for Christmas this year.

The next thing he said completely took me by surprise, and I really started to evaluate how I’ve handled situations. Little Patrick looked up at me with the most gentle eye through his dirty glasses and asked, “What does sad mean?” For once in my life I did not have an answer to such a simple question. I had no idea how to explain such a common emotion. How could I put it in a way that a little kid could understand the definition of a feeling? I started questioning myself on if I actually knew what ‘sad’ was. In the best way I could, I told him that when something happens and he has tears in his eyes, that he was sad. Quickly he told me he knew what it meant. Patrick told me his dog just died and his older sister passed away. He was sad when those things happened, but now everything was okay. I had the most precious soul sitting in front of me, with the biggest eyes and smile, rationalizing his pain into one word. Not only could he do that, but he continued to talk to me about his toys and his dog. I could only help but feel jealous. I wish I could be 7 again, and to be so innocent and naive. I wish I could have reacted differently in similar situations; where if something unfortunate happened, I could have become at peace with it so quickly.

Soon, little Patrick and his Dad put a leash on their pup, and went home. Although I only had a half hour with him, his words and actions will always have an impact on me. I think everyone can relate to the lesson Patrick taught me; When bad things happen, it’s okay to be upset, it’s okay to move on, and it’s okay to be happy. He will never be able to understand that his stories prompted me to accept this lesson, just as he will never be able to understand how much I needed his company that day. I can only hope that while my little friend grows up in a world with so much sadness and negativity, that he continues to give others just as much hope as he has given to me.