A few months ago, I watched this amazing video on a little girl named, Ana, and I happened to run across the video again, this morning. She blew my mind for numerous reasons, but the main one was because of the confidence she exuded.

The first thing you’ll notice about her is her infectious smile and laugh. The second, her profound intelligence. She’s articulate. A deep thinker. As her mother says, “She’s a thirty-eight-year-old in an eight-year-old’s body.”

Earlier this year I began watching videos of Gabe, an autistic and nonverbal (now) thirteen-year-old, who immediately touched my heart with his love of music, his earnest smile and his kind eyes. It brought tears to my eyes each time I saw him “communicate” with his mother, Nikki and the few individuals he allows into his world, including his babysitter, Gaby, his grandfather, his physical trainer, and a new autistic friend.