I think I had what Brené Brown calls a "vulnerability hangover."

A whole hour on a podcast talking about my life--as a dad raising an autistic, non-binary kid. What I've learned from them, how I've grown as a person, skills I've developed, why it helped me change careers.

Let me wind it back and set this up. To begin, I said to my kid, "I've been asked to guest on a podcast to speak about being your dad. They are asking me to talk about all the things. Is that okay? Anything you'd like me to say for sure, not to say?"

Once they'd granted permission and set me some ground rules for me, still pretty gingerly, I agreed to do it.

Talking about my private life this directly, this publicly, isn't something I do easily or often. But David Hirsch was a lovely, disarming interviewer--such sensitive questions and he gave me a generous amount of space to work within--and knowing he hosts a whole community of fathers with connections to disabilities made it easier as well.

>> Link to the podcast in the comments--available on all the platforms. Share it with anyone you think might benefit.

In the end, I'm glad I was able to share my story, our story together, with the hopes that it might support another parent, and their kid, out there somewhere. I've walked it together with Wendy. And Ivy has had her important vantage point too as a sibling. But for me, personally, it's been the biggest learning journey, and gift, of my life. It's not over of course, but I'm at a stage where I can look back and reflect, and share.

Show notes:

Our guest this week is Jonathan Bennett of Ontario, Canada, an executive and leadership coach, a poet and author of seven books and father of two.

Jonathan and his wife, Wendy, have been married for 25 years and are the proud parents of two children who are 17 and 19 years old.

We’ll hear some sage advice from Jonathan about raising an Autistic child who is also non-binary. That’s all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.