https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam A Grandfather's Lessons on Love, Loss, and the Gifts of Life en-us 2019-10-16 22:26:35 UTC 2025-09-28 21:02:51 UTC hello@padlet.com janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/411882710 "You were the product of the great love that two wounded souls have found."

Gottlieb's daughter and son in law were both broken people. Growing up they each had their struggles they had to overcome. I think they were able to be glued back together when they found each other, and finally healed when Sam was born.]]> 2019-11-15 16:19:40 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/411882710 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/411882775 "So your job is simply this: trust your instincts, remember your secret pact, and reclaim the wisdom you have always had."

I liked hearing the grandfathers idea of the secret pact. When a child is born, God places his finger upon the child's lips and says "Shh," which transfers all of God's wisdom or knowledge that the child will need in his life. 
In Sam's case, the knowledge and wisdom he will need is about his autism, learning to live with it, and accept it. ]]> 2019-11-15 16:19:44 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/411882775 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/411882849 "Being different is not a problem. it's just being different. But feeling different is a problem."


Your perspective on the world is very malleable. The way you feel can alter it so much. The way people act towards you can also alter it. I think that's the point that the Grandfather is trying to get across with this particular letter. ]]> 2019-11-15 16:19:50 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/411882849 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/411883324 https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism

This article talks about what autism is and the basic facts about it. People often confuse being on the spectrum with other disorders and it's incredibly important to differentiate them.]]> 2019-11-15 16:20:28 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/411883324 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/411884133 Gottlieb was a psychiatrist, author, radio talk show host, husband, father, and grandfather. He was in a tragic car accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair as a quadriplegic. Throughout his life he has experienced great loss and pain, but used these experiences to grow and become a better person. When his grandson was born, Gottlieb decided to write him letters about different lessons.]]> 2019-11-15 16:21:34 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/411884133 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/412844743 2019-11-18 17:02:24 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/412844743 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/412860635 Gottlieb talks a lot about the concept of altruistic love, or unconditional love. It's a specific love in which care, tenderness, and affection is freely given while expecting nothing in return. 

Gottlieb is a great example of altruistic love. In terms of his sister, his wife, his daughter, and his grandson. Affection and care just pour out of him.

 It's a rare thing to have, in my opinion, and one would be lucky to experience it. ]]> 2019-11-18 17:22:46 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/412860635 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/412861582 Daniel Gottlieb had his auto accident in 1979. That year over 51,000 people were killed. Compared to the most recent tallies, in 2018, around 36,500 people were killed from car accidents. Thankfully cars are getting progressively more safer, more actions are being taken, and less people are getting in car accidents.]]> 2019-11-18 17:24:07 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/412861582 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/413410323 Gottlieb stresses to Sam that it's okay to not know the answer to a question or a problem. That's a part of life. You can't know everything. Gottlieb tells a story of how a listener asked him a question on his talk show and his response was "I don't know," and with this response people were reminded of the importance of not knowing everything and admitting you don't know. ]]> 2019-11-19 15:17:35 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/413410323 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/413413170 Gottlieb mentions in the book how he has a talk show on the radio. This talk show was called "Voices in the Family" and it was a mental health call-in radio show. I think this helped him understand and cope with the fact that he became a quadriplegic. He was able to talk freely and answer questions. As he helped others heal, i believe this helped him heal as well. ]]> 2019-11-19 15:21:11 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/413413170 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/413517101 After reading this book, I sat for awhile and thought about what Sam would think after reading it. He was four when Gottlieb finished the book, so Sam was not at the age to read it let alone comprehend the significance of what his grandfather was sharing with him. I wonder how these letters have shaped Sam's life. How would Sam's life have turned out if his grandfather never wrote him. ]]> 2019-11-19 17:32:04 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/413517101 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/415354869 Sometimes, actually most of the time, we are scared of being judged for what we are feeling and thinking. We have many questions and we don't know whom to turn to. This book not only answers your questions but it makes you realize that it's okay to be different and it's okay to be comfortable in your own skin.]]> 2019-11-22 16:24:40 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/415354869 janebryer43 https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/415358266 Dr. Gottlieb discusses Sam and the books he wrote. He shared stories of him and emphasized the importance of being kind to each other. He stated,  "Sam's soul has always been kind."]]> 2019-11-22 16:29:26 UTC https://padlet.com/janebryer43/letterstosam/wish/415358266