A few years ago, I was at a conference for parents of children with autism. I will never forget something the keynote speaker said about raising children (autistic or otherwise). He said, “The most important thing your child needs from you… is to be seen by you.”

There are two massive ash trees in my front yard. They are on either side of the house; the one on the right sits outside our living room window, while the one on the left is adjacent to our bedroom. Their long, wispy branches tower well above the roof of the house; reaching so high that you can see them from virtually any angle on our block.