The Power of Listening and Letting Others In

Matt shares how his mom, his Open Door team, and his friends have shaped his journey—helping him grow, learn, and live life to the fullest, with a little help from the people who care most.

Hello, my name is Matt. I want to share a story about a workshop I attended about two years ago that taught us how to write our own stories. The story I wrote was about my mom and my relationship with her.

I used to be a very difficult person to deal with because, like my mom, I believed I knew everything. It took me a long time to realize that my mom actually knows more than I do—and that I should have been listening to her much earlier in life.

Eventually, my mom became the most important person for me to listen to, but it took hearing it from a lot of people before it finally clicked. I was stubborn.

About seven years ago, I started going to a company called The Columbus Center for Human Services, now known as Open Door. It took me a while to understand that it really does take a village to raise a person—and an even more special village to support people with mental and physical disabilities, people with differences, including me.

My mom does so much for me. I need her more than she needs me, and she helps me make decisions, pay bills, and just generally navigate life. She does more than the average mother because I have special considerations and needs. She makes sure I’m protected, that nobody harms me, and that I’m okay.

With the support of Open Door, my mom also gets advice on how to handle challenges I create and how to best support me. I have an incredible team at Open Door—Manny, who is my main staff, the overnight staff, and others—who have helped me learn how to get along with people, including my mom. I can be difficult; things can be hard to explain and even harder to accept.

Living with a disability, I’ve learned that not everything is about me or because of me. My friends need help too, and I’ve learned to support them. I even take some of them on vacations with me because I get bored being alone. I want them to have new experiences so they see that not all disabled people live the same way—you can live the life you want, with just a little help.

My mom doesn’t just care for me—she also helps my sister with her kids when she’s at work and supports my grandmother by staying with her, helping with groceries, and making sure she feels safe in her home. She takes my grandma to appointments and provides love and companionship, being her best friend.

In closing, I want to thank everyone on my team—especially my mom, Linda Childs; Manny Asari; Jessica Bond; Tori Davis; Michelle; my SSA; and all the people at Open Door who are my friends and who I know would help me if I asked. You’ve all made a real difference in my life.