** spoiler alert ** SPOILER ALERT:

I'm reluctant to pick up a Nicholas Sparks book, sometimes I like his work and sometimes I don't. Dear John I liked very much but I was sorry that the story ended without resolution for John. I think the book buys into the notion of "the one and only" except not entirely. Whereas the story showed Savannah's ability to genuinely love 2 men, though slightly differently, I was sorry that John never moved on and found love with someone he could be with.

What was most striking to me about this book was Spark's depiction of John's father. I knew John's father had Aspberger's Syndrome before the story disclosed that bit of information. John's father structured his life by sets of routines and pattern's; an echo that mirrored my relationship with my 28 year old son.

Sparks put language to parts of my life that have been so routine that I've never thought about them. Like John and his father, my son doesn't ask about my day and I don't need him to. My son doesn't tell me about his day unless I ask him to. Like John and his father collecting coins, my son and I connect through our garden, and like the story, its enough for my son to share the same room without sharing interactions.

The story reminded me that my life permeates the lives of my two other children where, with my oldest son we seem echo off of one another, almost imperceptibly. Like John's father, the phone rarely rings for my son and I was moved by how adeptly Sparks captured, not only a small segment of the Autism spectrum, but a very real part of my everyday life.

Each growing season I've watched my son nurture and care for all plants, even sickly sprouts with no hope of growing strong or producing fruit and I've often wondered if it isn't a metaphor, if he doesn't see some small part of himself. His actions say to me..."it matters just because its here."

Sparks ability to resonate the unfathomable loneliness of Asperger's Syndrome was both deeply personal and piercing.