A Thank You Letter To Bubba’s Twin Brother
Dear Braidan,
My sweet little buddy…
I’m not sure there are words to describe just how truly thankful I am for you and everything you do for your brother…but I’m going to give it a try.
Since the day I brought you and Ethan home from the hospital, you have been inseparable. You’d want to be close to each other touching and cuddling.
You’d steal each others binkies and giggle at the silliest things.
I loved it!
Sissy loved taking turns feeding you and helping you both learn new things…
I know as you and Bubba got a little older things started to change a bit…
You probably don’t remember when Ethan was diagnosed with autism…
But that’s why we had A LOT of people coming in and out of our home every day…
Hours upon hours of therapy, appointments, doctor visits, traveling…
And you were always there.
Even when Ethan couldn’t walk or talk yet…you still found ways to play with him AND communicate with him!
It was amazing. Truly fascinating watching the two of you together.
People say “it’s a twin thing” all the time.
But you know what?
It’s SO much more than that.
You were learning and gaining new skills…
but you watched your brother struggle and you were there to help him.
You would run around in circles and climb on things but then you would slow down to help your brother with his gait trainer because he couldn’t walk yet.
You would get your shoes on and tie them and then ask me if you could help put Bubba’s braces on his legs.
You would talk a mile a minute and tell me everything about your day and then you’d help Ethan find the buttons on his talker to tell me he had fun at school.
You had to learn about autism.
You asked questions.
You cried.
You were brave.
You learned.
You’re still learning (we all are!)
And you accept Bubba and love him unconditionally just like we do.
You were ALWAYS right there with him through it all…and you still are!
Your bond and your love towards your brother is something so pure and beautiful it literally takes my breath away sometimes.
You help him…
You guide him…
You cheer him on…
You take his hand and you lead by example…
And when things are tough…
There you are, taking it all in and asking what you can do to help.
At just 8 years old I can’t believe the amount of empathy and kindness that is within you.
There are so many times that me and daddy aren’t sure what’s bothering Ethan or what else we can do to help…
But then all of a sudden it’s quiet…
We look in the living room and there you are with your arm around Bubba and saying
“it’s ok”.
And you know what buddy???
It is OK!
Because he has YOU.
Thank you for always being there when he needs you most.
Thank you for being there during his therapies and telling him he can do it!
Thank you for always believing in him even when he’s struggling.
Thank you for being strong when the days and nights get hard …
Thank you for looking out for him at school and giving me little insights on his day when you get to see him at recess and gym.
Thank you for being his brother…
his friend…
his buddy…
his forever side kick…
I hope you your bond continues to grow as you both get older…
I love watching you together and it brings me so much joy knowing Bubba has you by his side.
You are absolutely amazing Braidan.
I am forever grateful for you and so incredibly proud of you.
You are stronger and braver than you will ever know. Bubba is lucky to have YOU as his twin brother and he loves you so much.
I love you to the moon and back buddy.
Love,
Mommy
Written by, Christina Abernethy
Christina is a dedicated wife, mother of 3, and passionate advocate for people impacted by disabilities. She has served on local committees, coached an adaptive cheerleading team, and won awards for successful fundraising endeavors including those for “Team Bubba,” honoring her son with autism. She is the founder of Love, Hope and Autism and is proud to be the coordinator for Changing Spaces Pennsylvania, a movement to build accessible restrooms with powered height adjustable adult sized changing tables across communities to promote inclusion. She is working with legislators to pass a bill in Pennsylvania that would require such facilities in hospitals, airports, museums, rest stops, malls and more. Christina is committed to spreading a message of heightened awareness and acceptance of differences, ultimately inspiring hope. She is also a coauthor of the book titled “You Are Not Alone: Stories, Resources and Hope From Autism Moms”
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