The influence of mothers shapes us in subtle and profound ways. Although every mother doesn’t achieve heroic recognition, their daily choices, their persistent faith in our potential and their quiet wisdom help build the foundation of who we become. Through their example and encouragement, we often find strength we didn't know we had.

During the 1950s, when Eustacia Cutler took her 4-year-old daughter Temple to the doctor, she heard words no mother wants to hear. The doctors diagnosed Temple with autism and then recommended institutionalization — the standard medical advice of that era. They said Temple would never speak, never connect, never thrive.

But Eustacia saw something different in her daughter's eyes. Where others saw only limitations, she noticed how Temple could think in pictures, how she related to animals in unique ways and how she processed the world differently — not wrongly.

Against the prevailing wisdom of the time, Eustacia made a bold decision. Instead of institutionalizing Temple, she created an enriched environment at home. She hired a speech therapist, encouraged Temple's natural interests and, most importantly, presumed competence when others assumed limitation.

Her insight proved transformative. Temple Grandin went on to earn a Ph.D., revolutionize animal science, design more-humane livestock-handling equipment used worldwide and become one of the world's most-influential voices in understanding autism.

Today, Dr. Temple Grandin often credits her success to her mother's early insight. "My mother never gave up on me,” she said. “She recognized that different didn't mean less." Sometimes a mother's wisdom isn't just about raising a child; it's about changing the world's perspective, one person at a time.

Happy Mother's Day!

Gino Pezzani
RE/MAX Heights Realty
www.vanhomesales.com
604-418-9366