It’s no secret that I love stories. They are at the heart of what I do. They are life – the momentous ones, the tiny ones, and all those in between. The Spark, by Kristine Barnett is a great story. It is about never giving up on a child. It’s about hope, potential, persistence, and love. This book is a mother’s story about raising her son diagnosed with autism at age 2. There is uncertainty and grief as Jake withdraws, becoming “a shadow of the little boy he’d been.” Yet Jake’s mother refuses to accept the devastating predictions made by experts and therapists and ultimately uncovers her son’s “spark.”
Readers learn about some of the difficulties one child with autism experiences and are shown how Jake’s mom created a nurturing environment for her son and many special needs children in her community. Though Jake struggles with communication and building friendships, we learn that he is a physics genius with an IQ higher than Einstein’s. Acknowledging that her son’s mind is incredibly rare, Barnett concludes, “the only compass I’ve ever followed is to let Jake do the things he loves and to make sure he gets to have a childhood.” She offers this lasting message:
“if you fuel a child’s innate spark, it will always point the way to far greater heights than you could ever have imagined.”
Let these words be written on your heart.
Genius is a measurement of IQ, but brilliance glows in many, many different forms. I ask you to take this moment right now to reflect on all of the sparks that light our world and all those yet to shine. Without them, we’d never know which way to go.
