1. Because Santi is our son. Full stop.
2. Because he teaches my wife, Weena, and me to be more patient.
3. Because he has the kindest disposition — not a mean bone in his body.
4. Because he is willing to go through hours of therapy to be able to keep up, academically, with kids his age.
5. Because he teaches his brother, Mike, to be tolerant and kind to everyone.
6. Because he forces us to save so we can pay for his therapy and medical expenses.
7. Because he forces me to work hard even when I’m feeling lazy.
8. Because when he is happy, he infects the entire family.
9. Because he demands our time and attention, which makes us more of a family.
10. Because he forces me to reassess what it means to have a meaningful relationship with my child.
11. Because he is (and this is my totally biased assessment) a physically beautiful child.
12. Because he exceeds our family’s expectations.
13. Because, unlike some spoiled kids, his personal wants are very few.
14. Because he has taught me to be grateful for small blessings.
15. Because he forces me out of my masculine comfort zone and to be more affectionate with him.
16. Because he forces my wife and me to think seriously about our children’s future.
17. Because he has taught me to be tolerant and have empathy for all kinds of special children.
18. Because he forces my wife and me to be strong parents.
19. Because he has taught us that a perfect day can include a tantrum or two.
20. Because we see that he is trying very, very hard not to throw tantrums, which teaches our family the value of self-control.
21. Because — and this has no logical or scientific basis — he brings our family a lot of good luck and blessings.
22. Because he is generally well-behaved, probably because of his therapies, and that teaches our son, Mike, to be well-behaved as well.
23. Because he isn’t selfish with his toys and happily shares them with Mike, which teaches Mike to be similarly generous with his things.
24. Because he is really kind to Mike and everyone in the family in his own unique way.
25. Because he is a child and all children — whatever shape, color, or condition — are blessings.