Jon’s parent’s, Mike and Mary, made a very sad mental list when he was born and diagnosed with autism. Things he would never do. He would never play on the football team, they thought. He’d never get married. He would never go to the prom.
Years later, they regretted having those negative thoughts of things he surely could not and would not do, because early one evening when Jon was 19, Mike and Mary got to see their son walk arm-in-arm among the colorful balloons and lights with his prom date, Maddi, who was on the prom court the previous year.
Maddi said, “I knew he wouldn’t have gotten the chance if it wasn’t for me asking him, so I thought he deserved the chance to go.”
Maddi first noticed Jon sitting all alone eating by himself. She invited him to sit with her, and they’ve been friends ever since.
Update: I’m reposting to celebrate this post from 6 years ago. Last week it went past 1 million shares. I have received…
Posted by Mike Larson on Saturday, 27 April 2013
