Letters To Sebastian
One of the things I talk about in my book is how you can make very small efforts that make a big difference in other people's lives.
My friend Sergeant Heather's son is autistic, but he happens to be an autistic savant, which means that at 5, he can read way above his level. He also happens to love elephants, and after I learned that, well, the elephants started writing Sebastian letters.
These letters come in the mail about once a month, addressed directly to him, and are typed in big text on hot pink paper (yes, the elephants happen to have a computer and typing paper) and are signed in messy Sharpie all over the untyped-on remainder of the page; usually with "P.S. something or other."
Anyway, Sergeant Heather suggested I save these (I hadn't been), and I'm so weary of all the ugly "adults" these past few days, I thought I'd share a few. Here's one from last week.
Dear Sebastian,We were in Michigan to go hear your mom's friend with the red hair do a show at the Opera House, and we went out afterward with her for lemonade, and we all decided we had to get you a present. We hope you like it, and it will help you remember your little friends in the jungle with the floppy ears. Well, okay, we're not so little!
Love, your friends the elephants
(The present was a little marble with an elephant and elephant facts on it -- one of those edu-toys. His mom said he loved it and he slept with the letter. Awww!)
Here's one I wrote on Thursday, to send sometime next week:
Dear Sebastian,Okay, we are leaving Michigan, that state that is shaped like a mitten, to go back to Africa. We had lots and lots of fun sliding around on the ice and throwing snowballs at each other with our trunks. Our mom found it a little hard to find sweaters in our size so she got blankets and tied them around us. Mine was pink with little elephants on it. Do you have a blue blanket with pictures of little boys on it? Just wondering!
The only bad thing was when we got in trouble for eating a lady's flowers. They were very pretty so we ate them. Unfortunately, they gave us a really bad stomach ache, plus our mom scolded us, so we pretty much got punished twice. Boohoo.
We hope you are having fun and we wanted to say hi to your sister. We hear she is pretty cool, and we hope if we meet her, she will teach us to dance. We are not the most graceful animals on the planet, but we do try!
Love, your friends the elephants
I'm assuming he has the Barbar books?
NicoleK at February 22, 2010 6:27 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/02/22/letters_to_seba.html#comment-1696964">comment from NicoleKHeather has invented "the book fairy," who comes daily, so I'm sure he does. He's so absolutely adorable. The closest thing I've ever seen to a human cherub.
Amy Alkon at February 22, 2010 6:31 AM
That is great. My daughter is 13 and autistic. I remember every kind act toward her. She has a group of girls that coach her through clothes and hair, to help her blend in. I am so glad she has friends to eat school lunch with. She is a math/science geek, gets extra tutoring for reading. Thank you-no act of kindness is wasted.
Ruth at February 22, 2010 6:45 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/02/22/letters_to_seba.html#comment-1696978">comment from RuthWow, Ruth, that is wonderful to hear. I think it's really important that parents teach their kids empathy, and it sounds like these girls' parents have.
I see it in my neighbors' kids. I blogged recently about how the 9-year-old boy woke me up at 3 in the afternoon bouncing a kickball against their porch wall. I have no right to tell a kid not to play in his yard at 3 pm, or how to play, but since I was awake, I walked out to go knock on their door and tell his mom something.
I had my sleep mask on, and I'd been sick, so I guess I looked like twice-warmed-over crap. The little boy asked me if I'd been sleeping, and I told him I had. "I think I'll go play inside," he said. I told him he didn't have to do that, and he said something along the lines "That's okay, it's no big deal." And he did, and I went back to bed -- marveling at what a great kid his mom has raised. (She's kind, and she really emphasizes being kind to her kids.)
Amy Alkon at February 22, 2010 7:12 AM
That is a really brilliant idea! I love that.
Makes me want to write to some of the kids in my life. Well done, Amy.
Jewels at February 22, 2010 7:21 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/02/22/letters_to_seba.html#comment-1696984">comment from JewelsThanks. It's amazing how happy you can make a kid with about five minutes of your time.
As I said on Wisconsin Public Radio the other day, you can train yourself to think about other people, and to be more proactive in doing these small kind gestures.
I save wine corks for my 9-year-old neighbor, for example. Not a big thing, but he collects them, he's happy when I give him one, and it's nice to know that somebody's thinking about you.
Amy Alkon at February 22, 2010 7:31 AM
Do they type with their trunks or their hooves?
old rpm daddy at February 22, 2010 10:04 AM
I got emailed this the other day regarding elephants....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYhT6FHEpwY
Eric at February 22, 2010 12:45 PM
How wonderful, Amy!
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