There was just something about him that made
me want to be by him.
Abraham: I met Anita when I went to her support group meeting. I can still remember when
I first saw her. I felt an instant connection. As I
looked more closely, I felt her strong charisma.
I sensed her high intelligence. I felt enthusiastic
at how she openly talked about being on the
spectrum. I can honestly say I felt love at first
sight! Oh, and I thought she was beautiful too!
Her eyes were mesmerizing!
PO
Stephen: What does being married mean to
each of you?
Editor’s Note: When we heard about Anita Lesko & Abraham Nielsen and
their All-Autistic Wedding, we wanted to know MORE! We also knew that
we wanted to keep the “All Autism” theme going with our ZOOM story. Who
better to do the interview, we thought, than the brilliant Stephen Shore,
who not only witnessed this beautiful union but also officiated the ceremony! Without further ado, we proudly present Stephen’s insightful interview with these two love birds who really are doing everything they can to
change the way the world views autism.
Stephen: What made you and Abraham decide to get married at the Love & Autism Conference?
Anita: At first our idea was to give others on
the Autism Spectrum the opportunity to attend
a wedding. It is common that we don’t get invited to such things. Then our vision to change
the world’s view of autism began to grow, and
we wanted to make it a public event to reach as
many people as possible. Dr. Jenny Palmiotto
had already invited me to speak at the Love &
Autism Conference. After getting engaged on
Christmas Eve 2014, I called her to ask if we
could get married at her conference. Without
batting an eye, Jenny agreed, and the journey
began!
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ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
PO
Stephen: How did you and Abraham meet
each other?
Anita: After getting diagnosed with Asperger’s
at the age of 50, the first thing I did was start an
Asperger’s Support Group in my community.
It was going for several years. Then one day
Abraham came to the meeting with his mother.
At that time I was hosting the support group at
a tiny Unitarian church set back in the woods.
That particular day there was a huge thunderstorm, and I thought no one would even show
up. It was early spring of 2013. I will always
remember when I first saw him and looked into
his eyes. I had a feeling of peace come over me.
Abraham: To me, being married means that I
have an eternal romantic relationship with my
dear wife Anita. My life is complete, knowing
that she belongs to me from her heart, mind,
and soul. I feel honored to be her husband, and
this is the most incredible milestone I have ever
taken on the high road. I believe a relationship
in marriage represents beyond infinity. It also
means that happiness will forever continue
in our married life. I feel like we have walked
together to the next world where we live in
ultimate peace.
Anita: I’m enjoying married life. Prior to our
wedding, we were already calling each other
husband and wife. But now, there’s a deeper
feeling of our commitment to each other. It is
a very peaceful feeling. I am proud to be Abraham’s wife. We belong to each other, always
and forever.
PO
Stephen: At what point in your friendship did
you two discover that there were more than just
friend feelings?
Abraham: After Anita and I were best friends
for more than a year, I realized that love started
to evolve for us on a special dramatic evening I
will never forget. Anita had just adopted a bunny, and she bought a huge bunny hutch, which
she asked me to assemble for her. On the night
we brought the bunny hutch to Anita’s house,
we both had a strong desire to hug each other
in the driveway. It was a beautiful evening. As
I put my arms around her, pulling her close
against my chest, suddenly I felt a divine magical spark inside of me. I never experienced such
an intense bond in my entire life. I didn’t want
to let go of her; I wanted that moment to last
forever. It was as if time stood still. It was the
most comforting feeling we ever had. I couldn’t
tell where my body ended and Anita’s began. It
felt as if we were simply one person.
Anita: It was that moment when I knew I never
wanted to let him go. The feeling of being in his
arms was intoxicating. I wanted that feeling to
last forever. I felt as if I were in the pages of a
great romance!
PO
Stephen: Did you both ever dream of finding
someone for a relationship?
Abraham: Yes. I always wished that a person
on the spectrum would understand my life and
be able to communicate with me. My dream
of finding this elusive person felt totally futile.
Before going to bed each night, I looked upon
endless stars across the magnificent horizon,
wishing my dream would come true. Unbeknown to me, fate would ultimately guide my
life to a happily-ever-after marriage to my soul
mate.
Anita: I always dreamed of finding someone
with whom I would be able to connect with,
someone I could be my true self with. Before
learning that I have Asperger’s, I knew I was
different, and that in itself made me think my
dream could never happen. After my diagnosis,
even though I then knew why I was different,
I still felt it to be impossible to find someone to
cultivate a relationship with. Marriage seemed
literally an impossible feat!
PO
Stephen: What do you treasure most about
ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
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