How many of us remember being bullied in middle school? Were we left to sit alone at lunch by ourselves because we were different or unpopular? Sometimes, without our knowledge, the hearts of our parents would break for us.
Leah Paske, is well aware that her son with autism is shunned by kids in school. And she admits in a post on Facebook that she became emotional when she found out the school had a special guest come to visit—and that guest chose to sit with her son at lunch, on this one day.
Here is Leah Paske’s full Facebook post:
Several times lately I have tried to remember my time in middle school, did I like all my teachers, do I even remember them? Did I have many friends? Did I sit with anyone at lunch? Just how mean were kids really? I remember one kid on the bus called me "Tammy Fay Baker" bc I started awkwardly wearing eye liner in the sixth grade, I remember being tough and calling him a silly name back, but when he couldn't see me anymore I cried. I do remember middle school being scary, and hard. Now that I have a child starting middle school, I have feelings of anxiety for him, and they can be overwhelming if I let them. Sometimes I'm grateful for his autism. That may sound like a terrible thing to say, but in some ways I think, I hope, it shields him. He doesn't seem to notice when people stare at him when he flaps his hands. He doesn't seem to notice that he doesn't get invited to birthday parties anymore. And he doesn't seem to mind if he eats lunch alone. It's one of my daily questions for him. Was there a time today you felt sad? Who did you eat lunch with today? Sometimes the answer is a classmate, but most days it's nobody. Those are the days I feel sad for him, but he doesn't seem to mind. He is a super sweet child, who always has a smile and hug for everyone he meets. A friend of mine sent this beautiful picture to me today and when I saw it with the caption "Travis Rudolph is eating lunch with your son" I replied "who is that?" He said "FSU football player", then I had tears streaming down my face. Travis Rudolph, a wide receiver at Florida State, and several other FSU players visited my sons school today. I'm not sure what exactly made this incredibly kind man share a lunch table with my son, but I'm happy to say that it will not soon be forgotten. This is one day I didn't have to worry if my sweet boy ate lunch alone, because he sat across from someone who is a hero in many eyes. Travis Rudolph thank you so much, you made this momma exceedingly happy, and have made us fans for life!
One has to wonder if Travis Rudolph ever experienced what Leah Paske’s son experiences every day. And one has to wonder why Leah Paske’s son is left to sit alone on any day. On any and all accounts, what Rudolph did was a beautiful thing.
Cheers to this young man. Here is Travis Rudolph’s bio from Seminoles.com. You can follow him on Twitter here.