Remember This...

   I've no doubt that somewhere on your journey as an autism parent (or a parent in general) that you have been questioned as to what it is you actually do. Maybe you've even been told you do nothing. Maybe your parenting skills have been questioned to the point of being challenged. Maybe your skills at running the household have been declared a joke. Maybe____________________________________________________; you fill in the blank. Maybe it's a little of everything or a whole lot of everything. Whichever one(s), you may have been left feeling empty and broken. You may be second guessing yourself as a parent, asking yourself what you did or didn't do or what you did or didn't do enough of. Feelings of guilt may creep in and you may find yourself wondering if what was said to you was the truth. Believe me, I know.

    It is so easy for those without children on the spectrum, and for that matter without children in general, to point out where they believe you fall short. They are not walking in your shoes; they have no clue as to the road you've walked and are still walking. They have no idea what has brought you from point A to point B. With that, from one autism parent to another, here is what I would encourage you to remember--

    Remember who it is that has been there from day one, from the moment the word "autism" first assaulted your ears and slowly worked its way to the core of your being. Remember whose tears have been shed at the news your child is "different". And then remember who has stood and fought.

   Remember who it is that has lost sleep more nights than you care to count and through weary eyes manages to press through the routine of daily living, be it work, the household budget, the kids' schooling, housecleaning, nonexistent appetites and bedtimes that exist in thought only. 

   Remember who has dealt with the loneliness and isolation that seems to accompany the world of autism, of having to leave social gatherings early because the noise and surroundings overload your child's circuitry and having to endure the stares, glares, snide remarks, and the sad delusion that autism is somehow contagious.

  Remember who has researched and studied autism, learning what it is and what it isn't. Remember who has been an advocate for your child in and out of the classroom, fighting to give your child every opportunity that could possibly be afforded. 

   Above all, remember who has loved your child into the person that he or she has grown into. Remember who has wiped a runny nose, dried teary eyes, and who has delighted at the sound of hearing your child's voice for the very first time. Remember who has sung lullabies, whispered night time prayers, and chased monsters out from under the bed. 

  Remember who it is that has been there!

  And the next time you're made to feel like you're a do nothing, remember this and know that you are everything!!!