Ten years ago this summer, we officially learned that Courtney had autism.

Wow… 10 years.

There were so many unknowns back then. Here we are a decade later, with some of those questions answered, while many others still remain.

Ten years ago, I knew Courtney had autism, but I didn’t know how severe it would be. Today, the severity of her autism still saddens me at times. The unknown has changed. Back then it was, “What will autism mean for her future?” Now it’s, “When will it become too much for me to handle?” It’s a question that quietly lingers in the background on the hardest days.

Ten years ago, we walked into a preschool, received a diagnosis, and hoped our school district would be the place that would educate and support her for years to come. Little did we know that ten years later we would be finishing a legal battle with that same district, and Courtney would be attending a therapeutic school that better meets her needs.

Ten years ago, Joe didn’t want to believe his little girl had special needs. Ten years later, he became her fiercest advocate and the loudest voice in the room, fighting to make sure she received the services and education she deserved.

Our ten-year journey has been filled with laughter, joy, and countless moments worth celebrating. It has also been filled with tears, frustration, bruises, and scars; both visible and invisible.

Autism has challenged us in ways I never could have imagined. It has stretched us, humbled us, exhausted us, and taught us lessons we never expected to learn.

But through it all, one thing has never changed: Courtney is a girl we love with all our hearts. Every challenge, every victory, every setback, and every milestone has only deepened that love.

Ten years ago, we didn’t know what the future would hold.

Truthfully, we still don’t.

But for ten years, we’ve shown up. We’ve learned, fought, adapted, celebrated, cried, and kept moving forward.

And we’ll keep doing exactly that for as long as Courtney needs us.