CNN iReport

I was having a good day.

I'd dropped my 23 year old son Matthew, who has autism, at Camphill, a community for individuals with  developmental disabilities  in Santa Cruz, California. It's just an hour from our family's home in Northern California. Matthew had had a terrific 3 day visit at home, and we were pleased that the weekend went well, even happier that he was eager to get back to his program.

Then, my 21 year old son Andy, a senior in college, called to tell me to be sure to catch The Daily Show tonight.

"Just watch it," he laughed, "and call me tomorrow."

Shortly after we hung up, my youngest son John burst in the door jubilant after his last day of final exams. We laughed as he collapsed onto the couch, and our yellow lab jumped into his lap as if to congratulate him.

I almost didn't hear the phone ring in all of the hilarity, but then grabbed it and saw caller ID flashing MATTHEW.

"You'd better get it," said John.

***

"Hello, Mom," said Matthew, "I have some very bad news. Things are not working out here. No one understands me and I seriously need to move to Louisiana."

As I took a deep breath and probed a little further, my 17 year old retreated to his room and our Lab ambled over to her dog bed.

It turned out that Matthew had been reprimanded for using his gas powered weed whacker too early in the morning, and that it had been locked up as a consequence. After expressing his disappointment that he wouldn't get to weed whack for a whole week, he calmed down and told me he had to go, it was time to do his chores.

When I hung up the phone, I hoped to pick up where I left off with John and the dog. They had moved on; John was busy with his skateboard and Callie wasdreaming on her dog bed.

I started to cry.

I chastised myself, and wondered how this silly phone call from Matthew had impacted me this way.

"I know why," said a good friend, the mother of a daughter with Asperger Syndrome. "I call those 'drive-by-phone calls'," she said.

"You are having one of those rare great days. Matthew is doing well and you feel like your life is almost normal and then BAM! You're reminded Matthew condition is life long."

Life long.

Just as I was feeling really sorry for myself , I heard John laughing uproariously after having dressed the dog in a t-shirt and gym shorts.

It occurred to me that ALL parents get those drive by phone calls, and that there was no such thing as normal.

And as I took this silly photo of my dog in a t-shirt and gym shorts, I felt really, really lucky.