Welcome to the Strong Women podcast, where each week we explore a deeper understanding of the humanity, value, intellect, and creativity of women.

I'm Sarah Stone Street.

And I'm Erin Kunkel.

Glad you're here.

Welcome back to Part 2 with Emily Colson on the Strong Women podcast.

So in part one, we talked with Emily about her relationship with her dad, Chuck Colson, who is also the founder of the

Colson Center, which is who puts on this podcast. So we have all kinds of reasons to talk to

Emily. Not only is she an awesome, resilient, joyful lady, but she's also connected with us in more ways than one.

So that was part one.

If you haven't had a chance, please go back and listen.

In part two, we dive into her story a little bit more with her son Max.

Her son was diagnosed with autism, and so she shares a lot in this second part of the story

just about her journey learning and living life with max and it's beautiful and i can't wait

for you guys to hear this conversation the story you tell in your book dancing with Max, like you said, you were married, great house, loved your job, and then you and your husband decide to have a baby, you get pregnant, and then baby comes, and motherhood is not as Emily had expected it to be.

You know, and we all do this in some ways, you know, you have your ideas of what it's going to be like.

But your son had challenges that other kids don't have.

Tell people about when you became a mother and how that really started this time in your life that

you're talking about? Well, first of all, I was shocked that the hospital even let me leave

with Max because I was completely incompetent. I'd never changed a diaper. I really thought,

this is not right. You should be doing some kind of a screening. You walk out of the hospital. Do you have any

idea? I thought that when I left with my daughter, you like look over your shoulder like,

you guys are going to let me take her? Yeah. Like I'm not sure I know what I'm doing. There should be

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