michaeljohngentile:

at the orlando show the other night alex and i met a special young lady named Bethanie. (white shirt.) she was very quiet and shy, and only smiled. i really didnt think anything of it until after taking the picture when i began talking with her mother. her mom went on to explain to me that Bethanie suffers from an extreme case of autism, and as a result is unable to speak or communicate. something that all of us take so highly for granted. the venue was super loud as other bands were playing while i conversed with Bethanie’s mom, so it was hard to hear what she was telling me. from what i gathered, she continued to tell me that the first time she spoke was by signing along to hey monday songs, and from that was able to have a conversation for the first time. i was absolutely flabbergasted, my heart immediately went out to this girl/family. moral of the story is to be thankful for what you have, work for what you dont have, appreciate and love life. see you soon Bethanie, such an inspiration to us all! :) 

(via conversewithmyconverse-deactiva)