Why World Autism Day is a Personal Thing for Me

Carol Grabowsky was my sister and only sibling, and she was autistic.  Born in 1964, she was two years older than me, and although we had great times together growing up, I never was as close to her as, say, friends I grew up with, because there was this disconnection I never could quite put a finger on.  I wish, looking back, I could have spent more one-on-one time with her, wish I could have thought more to take a day of the week off to take her somewhere, to a park, the beach, a movie, out to eat, just her and I, but I never spent that kind of time with her that I feel I could have, looking back.
In 1995, Carol was taken from her school around lunchtime and we never saw her again.  Six months later, two kids came across her skeleton in a drainage ditch not far from the school.  I miss her very much.
Now, all this time later, I have a son named Charlie.  To date, he's four and a half years old.  He's autistic too.  I love him dearly.  For some strange reason, probably because he's the way he is, I feel like when I'm spending time with him, I'm spending time with my sister, too, and all the horror and loss I've felt with losing Carol melts away with every minute I spend with Charlie.
Just thought I'd share this, and in doing so I'd like to stress how important it is that we all take just a little time out of the year to think about autism, how it affects us, and what we can do about it.  To date, 67 million people worldwide are in the autism spectrum.
What can you do?  Make a small donation to organizations like www.autismspeaks.org .  I'm also donating a percentage towards autism research from every copy of RED WET DIRT sold, even though I don't advertise that I do.
Spread the word.

best,
Nick
 
(I have a page devoted to Carol at http://www.downwarden.com/Carol%20Jean%20Grabowsky.htm )