Life’s Lessons from my Autistic Son

“But I don’t want to shower!” 

This familiar refrain is one of the many challenges faced by children with autism. Sensory experiences, like the touch of water, can be straightforward one day and insurmountable the next. This week, taking a shower became a battleground. 

As the days grew hotter, the risk of him getting sick increased. We had to intervene. 

“Son, you have to shower. If you don’t, you can’t read your favorite books. It’s your choice: shower and enjoy your books, or skip the shower and miss out on them.” 

“Son, you need to shower. If you don’t, we’ll have to take away your tablet. I know how much you love your favorite show, but if you don’t shower, you could get sick. It’s your choice: Either your favorite show after a shower, or no tablet today.” 

It pained us to see him refuse. 

A Simple Shower, A Profound Lesson in Love 

After a few days, he remained defiant. We found ourselves pleading with him, hoping he would make the right choice. 

“Son, please,” we begged. “Let us give you everything you want, just please, take a shower. It will only be a few minutes, and we will be overjoyed to give you everything you desire.” 

He smiles, then walks away. 

Eventually, he agrees to shower. We cover him in soap, and then shower him with love. 

As my son sits down with his new haircut, watching his favorite show, and enjoying a plate of his favorite cookies, he is the third happiest person in the room. Shula and I look at him, content in knowing that he is as healthy as he is happy.  

We’re happier to give him what he wants than he is to receive it. 

God’s Generosity: The Magnitude of God’s Gifts 

Could this be our relationship with God? Doesn’t Hashem yearn to bless us in this world and the Next with everything if we would only follow His mitzvot? 

“I am the Lord, your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I shall fill it.” (Psalms 81:11) 

But what does it mean to open our mouths wide? 

Let’s reflect on a single example of Hashem’s generosity.  

In the past year alone, God has blessed the world with 785 million metric tons of wheat. That’s 28.8 billion bushels, each containing a million kernels, which become the flour for our bread, cakes, pasta, and much of what we consume daily.  

Just this past year, Hashem has bestowed upon us 28,800 trillion kernels of wheat—824 trillion stalks gracing fields worldwide, ensuring abundance. 

And this doesn’t even touch on the barley, corn, fruits, and vegetables that He gifts us every day! 

When we open our mouths to receive His bounty, the blessings are truly limitless. 

Finding Joy in Divine Discipline 

Are we all like my son?  

Hashem is our Father, with endless ways to make us happy! All we need to do is take that first step, even if it feels a bit uncomfortable at first—because it’s truly what’s best for us. 

When we do something beneficial, Hashem rewards us abundantly. Imagine taking 25 hours to recharge our spiritual and physical selves, immersing in prayer, enjoying the company of friends and family, and savoring challah and chullent. 

Along with this rejuvenating break and time with loved ones, Hashem showers us with even more blessings! 

Our Sages say that at the end of our lives, we’ll realize our worst urges were as small as bedbugs. The desire to work an extra day or catch a midday movie pales in comparison to the life-giving commitment to guarding Shabbat.  

And the struggle to uphold pure speech? It’s just another fleeting discomfort. 

Hashem asks us to love our fellow Jew, to refrain from hatred, deceit, and placing obstacles in their way, treating them as we would ourselves. Are we stubbornly letting the daily news lead us into negativity and hatred? 

Hashem wants to give us everything we desire and more. He is constantly watching, helping, and eagerly waiting to bless us at every opportunity! 

One Family Under God: Treating Others as Hashem’s Children 

The key to loving every Jew lies in the profound realization that we all share the same Father. Hashem, in His boundless grace, calls us His children, His sons. By treating each other as brothers and sisters, we affirm our sacred lineage as the children of God. 

We are living in the days of Mashiach. Despite our perceived “problems,” even those we mistakenly believe “others have caused,” we are participants in a Divine process that will culminate in: 

• Peace 
• Eretz Israel 
• The Eternal Temple 
• Health 
• Prosperity 
• A life dedicated to knowing Hashem! 

The Lubavitcher Rebbe teaches us that a single deed can bring this age right now – and this single mitzvah can come from any one of us.  

By focusing on the mitzvot we can perform, we inch Israel and the world closer to an era of peace, prosperity, and a universal call to know God. 

How powerful is the power of a single deed?  

Imagine a star born 500 light years away, its light beginning its five-century journey to Earth. A day later, the star implodes. Though its life was brief, the light it emitted continues to travel, illuminating the universe. The star may be gone, but its light endures, casting a radiant glow across the galaxies. 

Imagine the light formed by a single mitzvah. 

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David Ben Horin lives in Afula with his family, millions of sunflowers, and Matilda, our local camel. David‘s Israeli startup, 300 Marketing Solutions, is a lean marketing agency for startups and small businesses that creates and promotes SEO-optimized ROI-driven to the right audience on LinkedIn to make your business the star of the show.