With so many important issues facing us in this country & in the world at large, it can be easy to loose focus & get distracted. There are so many legitimate distractions around us. The issues closest to me (in no particular order) include the division among Americans which has the current President right in the middle along side the National Anthem & our flag.
The devastation in Mexico from this week’s earthquake’s & the destruction of island’s in the Caribbean including the U.S. Virgin Islands, where I come from. Where do I contribute? Where can I make the most impact? Where should we choose to focus our energy most? These items are as I mentioned, each very important to me. I have seen images of the islands of St. Thomas & St. Croix featuring places I frequented that are unrecognizable.
I have been blessed to know that my family members are safe. So while rebuilding a is a long road, one is removed from those challenges so while prayers have been answered, the daily worry is not as present. I have no idea what it is like to live through such a thing. In truth, NONE of these items can be ignored. Nor should they be.
Yet there is one thing that does stay with me every day..especially now & that is my son Elijah, who is 11 years old & was diagnosed with Autsim Spectrum Disorder (ASD at the age of three). I worry less about the people who stare when he has a melt down in public, which can occur because the specifics stall in the restroom that he wants to use is not available, or because of anxiety he needs to be squeezed right away & cannot help but ask in a loud demanding way or even scream at times. Though at times these are very inconvenient, I’ve grown. This is one of the challenges/gifts of autism.
What my wife & I do worry about is his future & our future with him, especially as it relates to money, our own retirement, his independence & frankly, our own mortality. The things we worry about are things that I am sure are on the minds of most people who are parents to children or adults with special needs.
Things that matter twice as much to our community but frankly, I KNOW concern anyone who earns a dollar & pays taxes, regardless of race religion, income, sexual orientation, or gender. Things we may not like or feel comfortable talking about but have to. Things I frankly hate talking about.. but have to. Things like…
- What if one of or both of us passes away before he becomes an adult?
- What kind of independence, financial & otherwise will our child have?
- Who would fight for him if I am not here?
- Will I myself be able to retire in comfort?
- What options are there for me to put money aside for my child? How much of that money if any, will be lost to taxes? Is there a limit on how much I can save?
These questions & others like them have answers that live within the financial services industry but the industry has chosen to reserve them for the wealthy & affluent only. Much like the free services such as therapy, respite, & more that are available in the state of California where my family & I live, people cannot get what is available if they do not ask & if they do not know, then how can they ask? When it comes to financial services AND education, most don’t even know where to ask.. or sometimes what to ask. These words will be perceived as equal parts advertisement & information & because the need is so great, I do not mind. I am a professional in the financial services industry with more than a decade of experience.
My wife & in addition to our 11 year old son, have her grown daughters from her previous marriage who are ages 23 & 25, & for the last 9 years, we have been legal guardians to my sister in law’s 4 children, two boys & two girls, ages 12-18. My colleague, business partner, & friend, Brian Altounian & I have committed to educating & Serving the special needs community on what we hope to be a national scale.. to start with. As information becomes available regarding our upcoming workshops, seminars, & events, I will share. Wherever you are, as you read this, please share with those you know. If you have not found the answers to the questions noted here, respond. If you have found answers a success story to share, please do so & if by chance, you would like to be part of this movement in some way, shape or form, by all means, reach out. Whoever you are, if you are reading this, I love you.
Blessings,
Shawn
The Amazing Xperience 