By: Glen Finland
cutting jobs for differently-abled workers, unsuccessful
for nearly a year. The jobs he did end up with (I cheered
that one was for my beloved Washington Nationals)
required big-hearted individuals willing to be the ones to
accommodate David’s needs and personality.

At the same time that Finland helps David grow and use
his wings, she realizes his disabilities make him more
gullible and unable to read social clues that could easily
make him a victim, so she and Bruce argued for limited
guardianship over David. They also opened a special
needs trust to take care of him should they suddenly
pass away. The natural “letting go” of a child, I realize, is
infinitely more complicated when that child has special
needs. Finland wrote the book to create a collage of words and
memories for her David, and she included her other sons’
views of him, as well as her husband’s. The end result is
a loving portrait of a special guy whose family loves him
fiercely. And despite the fact that David still frustrates all
of them, sometimes on a daily basis, they’ve grown to love
him for who he is, rather than resent him for who he is
not. That’s the sort of acceptance we all could learn from.

Finland writes that it “seems like every new adventure
with David offers us a chance to see the best and worst
in people.” I wish for all parents—whether their children
have special needs or not—to read Next Stop to learn from
her experience with David. With his image in our minds,
maybe we can approach the next autistic child and his/her
parents with a little more empathy and patience. Knowing
a little more of what they might be facing and feeling, we
can give that parent and child our best.

Kate Schwarz is a full-time mom and wife living in Great Falls, VA. In
addition to being a reader to her three small children, Kate is a writer,
distance runner, Crossfitter and blogger of raising kids with books at
www.katesbookery.blogspot.co m.

washingtonFAMILY.com August 2015 15