What Lucas Taught Me About Living Without Fear

Hi Pod! I'm Dad.

James Gutman shares his journey of learning to truly see and appreciate his nonverbal son Lucas, transforming what many would consider a challenging situation into a source of profound joy and personal growth. This deeply personal episode explores how a heart surgery became the catalyst for shifting from constant worry about what he wasn't doing for his son to genuine appreciation for who his son actually is.
• The contrast between raising a neurotypical daughter who hit all developmental milestones early and a son with autism who missed them
• How people often take credit for their children's successes but blame themselves for developmental delays
• The transformative impact of heart surgery and facing mortality on James's perspective about what truly matters
• Moving from autism awareness to acceptance to appreciation
• Learning to understand Lucas on his own terms rather than trying to change him
• How Lucas embodies the qualities most parents want in their children—authenticity, joy, and living in the moment
• The beautiful relationship between Lucas and his sister Olivia
• Finding positivity in life's challenges by learning from them
• The upcoming book "Hi World, I'm Dad: How Fathers Can Journey from Autism Awareness to Acceptance to Appreciation"
Pre-order my book "Hi World, I'm Dad" available June 19th everywhere books are sold—in print, digital, and as an audiobook narrated by James himself
It's Here! Get the book – “Hi World, I’m Dad: How Fathers Can Journey to Autism Awareness, Acceptance, and Appreciation” on audio, digital, or print.
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Also, be sure to read the blog that started it all - Hi Blog! I'm Dad.

Chapters

1. What Lucas Taught Me About Living Without Fear (00:00:00)

2. Introduction to Hi Pod, I'm Dad (00:00:14)

3. Early Challenges with a Nonverbal Son (00:02:19)

4. Heart Surgery Changed Everything (00:09:01)

5. Autism Appreciation Philosophy (00:13:54)

6. Building Sibling Relationships (00:19:52)

7. Book Announcement and Final Thoughts (00:24:48)