Can I cancel my membership?

In the autism club, that is. Before you judge me too harshly, you really need to understand life with with the challenges of autism. I encourage you to read this post from a fellow mom of a kiddo with autism about her week:http://autismwithasideoffries.blogspot.com/2014/07/toast.html?spref=fb&m=1

I read that and cried. For her. For me, because I understand. I know the pain of watching other moms without our challenges enjoying "normal" with their kids. Sure, no one's life is perfect, but I used to be in "that club". The club where you have play dates, and your kids attend VBS, and soccer, and you can eat in a restaurant or go to the zoo. I can still go to that club sometimes. I took 2 of my younger kids to the zoo last week while their siblings were at ESY. It was fun, although I had the constant awareness of leaving by a certain time in order to make it home in time for the first ESY bus. I pulled in the driveway to find the bus waiting!

Many moms go through seasons that are challenging. The toughest thing for me right now is the reality that unlike the toddler or teen stage, a person doesn't outgrow autism. Certainly a person with autism can grow, develop, and progress. Obviously that is the hope in pursuing services, that we can manage or eliminate challenging behaviors. But autism doesn't go away, and honestly right now it's HARD.

Many of us feel the deep pain of isolation. We need community, but it's challenging to orchestrate the arrangements for it to happen. I am so thankful that several friends reached out to me this week. They made the effort, and I can't tell you how wonderful it was to connect, laugh, and share. 

I want to encourage you to reach out to a mom you may know. She's the one that slipped off the radar. She hasn't been at church in a few weeks, and maybe last time you saw her she looked a little tired and worn. Maybe you emailed, but she didn't respond. Maybe try again. Just reach out and make sure she's okay. It may be the call that gets her through the week that's going all wrong.