“A Waste of Time”

He said tomorrow is a waste of time.

Just like that—brushed off everything I’ve been working toward with one sentence.

The emails, the flyers, the organizing, the hope behind it all. Gone. Labeled useless.

But it’s not just about him.

Earlier this week, I got a message from someone I tagged—someone I thought would get it.

Instead of feeling seen or supported, she asked me to stay quiet.

That her family prefers to keep things “extremely silent.”

That I should understand this isn’t something they want to talk about.

I’ve been carrying that text like a stone in my chest.

Because what I heard underneath wasn’t just privacy.

It was shame.

And that’s what broke my heart.

Shame doesn’t belong here. Not in our stories. Not in how we love our children.

We need less silence, not more.

Because silence is what isolates parents. It’s what makes you think you’re the only one navigating services, fighting for evaluations, decoding acronyms, crying in the parking lot after an IEP meeting.

Tomorrow isn’t a waste of time.

It’s a small rebellion against shame.

It’s a hand reaching out instead of a door closing.

It’s proof that there are parents out there who want to connect, support, and show up—for their kids, and for each other.

Let them call it a waste. I call it a beginning.