There were young kids, teens, young adults, even his best friend, all playing together, learning and laughing. But, there was no sign of my child. I searching the parking lot where everyone was talking and hanging out with their families; not there either. Here is where most people panic. But, deep down I knew; look with the younger kids. It was there I found him, rolling down the hill, filled with that bold childhood laughter, having the time of his life. No pressure here. No one asking him to make quick decisions he had to worry about in that football game. There was only freedom and joy. I want him to be something he isn’t sometimes, but I’m learning to start finding the thankful in disability.
How many of us counted the cost (both emotionally and financially) of what it would take to raise a child and/or care for an aging parent? Many are doing both…Because we love our child, we don’t often consider the cost because we simply do what is needed and want the best for them.
My daughter arrived in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the middle of the night on the eve of Thanksgiving. A tough respiratory virus attacked her lungs, and she needed a substantial amount of oxygen support. And now, this unexpected illness meant Thanksgiving was going to be completely different than we had all planned.
Are you scrounging for thankfulness this holiday season? Holidays can be a challenge for those walking through hard days. Perhaps you feel like you've been handed the short-end of the stick; your child is struggling, you’re exhausted and it seems like everybody else has life with a bit more gravy. It’s easy to focus on our circumstances, take stock of what we have and where we are and end up feeling completely void of thankfulness. Is there a cure for this?
The special needs parenting journey can be exhausting, full of loneliness, challenges, and struggles. It can be easy to focus on how hard things are. But I find the whole month of November to be the perfect time to reflect on the things that I am thankful for. Once I get started thinking this way, I realize there really are a lot of things to be thankful for.
Sometimes we only learn our lessons the hard way. There is truth in consequences. With autism or developmental disability, however, it can be hard to know what is reasonable to expect from our children. How much is too much? How much is too little? When do we make legitimate allowances for a disability and when do we not?
There are dozens of things we’ve incorporated into our household, lifestyle and daily rhythms over the years that have helped maximize my “autopilot mode.” Let’s be real. Autopilot is a form of rest when it comes to caregiving. The “efficiency geek” in me seeks out routines and conveniences that allow me to slide through the rigors of caregiving with as much ease as possible. Today, I’m sharing some of the much-appreciated amenities at our house.
