Welcome to My World

"Welcome to my world!" My husband hates it when I say that, because it typically follows some daunting experience that completely wipes him out, usually having to do with the kids. The look on his face is always the same - utter disbelief that I deal with such circumstances every day and don't end up in a straight jacket by noon. This is not to imply that I don't feel like I belong in the loony bin. I often find myself wanting to run away from home. Then one of the kids does something so sweet and kind that I can't imagine being anywhere else.

My family has been trying to convince me to write about my experiences for quite some time. The day-to-day routine in our house isn't that different from anyone else's. In fact, it is becoming more common place for families to face the same challenges we encounter. We are a family dealing with autism. Most people who see us in public have no idea our 6 year-old son has Asperger's Syndrome. Until last night, he didn't know he had it either; but that adventure of explaining it to him is a topic for another time.

The last 6 years have been a struggle for us. Parenthood was not what we thought it would be, our first child had problems we did not know how to describe to our pediatrician, we relocated half-way across the country twice, had a second child, and tried to make it all work in the midst of the chaos that is autism. I am glad to say that we are doing pretty well now, and I want to share what I have learned with others who are new to this puzzle.

I started writing a book about it. That became overwhelming as I tried in vain to organize my thoughts in a way that would be meaningful. As the product of a generation that thrives on immediate results, I was unwilling to wait to have my work edited and then published a year or two from now - or, rejected by the professional book sellers altogether. The need to do something now compels me to put my thoughts out there and let you tell me directly if they help.

In college I focused for a while on philosophy and ever since have been a big believer in karma. My version of it is this: do good so that others will benefit; the joy you receive in helping someone else is the interest you earn on your investment in the world around you. So many people along this journey have helped to strengthen my son and make our family whole. I want to do the same for other people in my situation, even if I can't reach them directly. This blog seems to be the best way to do that for now. Welcome to my world.