As a guest blogger, I must walk carefully in the new world of learning autism. I want to bond with the friends of my new adventure, not create tension because I might not "have a clue" about their life.
One thing I would like to timidly stress is that no matter what the challenges in life, whether it be an autistic child, ailing health of a loved one, or just too many bad days lumped together...we must all remember to stop and smell some roses. Remember the carefree days of youth, when we took notice of things adults took for granted?
When I was a teen, I enjoyed posing for photos, alone or with friends. I didn't mind looking silly. I just wanted to have fun. Now that I'm grown, I too often find myself making sure my photos look "just so", because...gasp...the world might see them.
Life is not just about the big accomplishments or about everything being just right. It takes a lot of small accomplishments, too. One thing I've learned about autism is that parents have to be grateful for the small steps. Other parents seem to gloss over the small steps, wanting to push their children from one tiny moment of glory into something bigger and better.
We push ourselves, too, parents. We forget to just make ourselves STOP. Take five seconds to breathe deeply and be grateful for that faint scent of the new wild flowers growing in our yard, for the pretty bird that is playing around the feeder we put up and forgot was there, for the beautiful butterfly that almost flew into us as it crossed our path.
Yes, some days we have to dig really deep for our blessings. But I'll bet if you try hard enough, you'll find a few that you would have normally overlooked. Making yourself aware of the little things in life can help you get a better perspective over the big picture.
So, the next time you feel the stress breaking your sanity, grab a camera and take some silly pictures just to break the tension. Keep a post-it pad handy and stop for five seconds to draw a goofy picture to hang on your fridge. Purposely walk into the kitchen, grab that coffee canister, and take a deep breath of the beans or grounds.
While you're struggling to appreciate the little things in your child's life, remember to take a moment here and there to make some little moments for yourself.
