By Katalina Bonds

The Law of Cause and Effect teaches that every cause has an effect, and every effect has a cause. Nothing happens by chance. Leslie Householder explains this beautifully in her book Hidden Treasures with a simple example: if you plant a carrot, you can be assured a carrot is what will grow. In the same way, if I move in a good direction, good things will move toward me. What we sow through our outward actions, we will inevitably reap in the reactions we receive.

Recently, my husband and I experienced the full weight of this law in a way we’ll never forget. It began with a decision that came from a place of love: we felt it was time for our two adult sons with autism to move into a group home. Our intention was for their growth and greater independence.

Let’s be honest—living at home with Mom and Dad can be too comfortable. It often dulls our drive to do more for ourselves. That was true for our sons as well. In fact, it was even more important for them to be in an environment designed to help them develop in ways we simply couldn’t provide on our own.

We never regretted the decision to transition them into a group home. What we did regret was a choice we made along the way.

While searching for the right setup, we were presented with what seemed like a miracle: the opportunity to keep our sons in their home with a full-time caregiver living with them. This caregiver appeared out of nowhere, and we truly believed they were heaven-sent. They spoke highly of their experience with the special needs population and presented themselves as the perfect fit.

But almost immediately, our intuition began to whisper—something felt off. Brian and I both had this uneasy feeling, but we pushed it down. Our minds rationalized the choice: this seemed like the least disruptive and most comfortable option for our boys.

So, we moved forward. We moved out. And we left our sons in the hands of this caregiver.

That’s when everything unraveled.

Our younger son started calling me constantly. I never realized how much language and understanding he had until those phone calls. He was upset all the time. And not just emotionally—he was struggling deeply. Soon, his behavior turned concerning, even dangerous. He was hurting the caregiver and his older brother. Something was very, very wrong.

After two months of total chaos, the truth came to light. Our gut had been right all along. This caregiver was not trained. They didn’t know how to communicate with people who have special needs, and even worse, they had zero experience with epilepsy. As you can imagine, the guilt and horror that followed were overwhelming. We had trusted the wrong person with our sons' care.

One decision. One choice. One misstep—and our lives were turned upside down.

Now, Brian and I live by one firm rule: always listen to your gut. When that inner voice sounds the alarm, we pause. We gather every bit of information we can until our gut is at peace before moving forward again.

Despite all of it, I’m deeply grateful. Throughout the turmoil, we stayed anchored to our vision for our sons—and in the end, everything came together in the most beautiful, miraculous way, in its own perfect timing.

So I encourage you—listen to your gut, even when your mind is rationalizing or pointing to the easiest route. Remember Brian and Rosa. Stop and truly hear what your intuition is saying. Because every choice you make will create a ripple. Make sure it’s one you’ll be proud of.

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