For a Lifetime

Today is the last day of April and that means the last day of Autism Awareness Month.  For most of you, anyway.  For those of us with autistic children, our month is all year.  24 hours, 365 days, for a lifetime.  Don't forget about those of us who are "in the trenches" every single minute of every single day. 

Here are some ideas to help the autism families you know any time of the year:

1. Call (okay, text is better) to say "Hi," so they don't feel forgotten. Because we feel lonely and alone a lot.
2.  Invite them to something (the park, dinner, the zoo) and make a point of saying you'll help keep an eye on the kids so they'll feel less overwhelmed.
3. Bring a meal one day, randomly, for no other reason than to just provide a little break.  A great day to do that is when you know they have several therapy appointments in one day or just seem extra rundown and tired and need a pick me up.  (Psst--Don't forget dessert!)
4.  Send a card.  Just because.
5. Pray for them.
6.  Offer to babysit.  Finding babysitters are difficult for our family and, frankly, we can't afford it.  My husband and I have never been away from our children for a night together.  But even a couple hours away when we know our children are safe and cared for can make a huge difference in how we tackle the next day or week.
7. Take an autism mom or dad out for coffee or wine or beer or cheesecake. Remind them they have a friend. 
8. Wallow in the mud with them when necessary.
9. Take the time to know a child with autism.  You may be surprised what they'll teach you.
10.  If you don't know an autism family personally, think about making a contribution to a local autism organization that helps families.  National organizations do not give directly to families that desperately need the help.

I hope over the last month I've been able to share a little bit about our life and, while I wasn't trying to educate anyone, I hope you saw a different point of view.  Some parts aren't pretty.  Some parts are messy.  Some parts are painful.  Some parts are exhausting.  Some parts are bewildering.  Some parts are terrifying.

Some parts are beautiful too.

I'll still be blogging away, but more like three or four times a week.  I have loved having an excuse to write each day though but I don't believe we've eaten dinner on time once this month.  Yes, writing is more fun than cooking but it does not feed the troops (and they will turn on me at some point). I've gotten to write about many things that have been heavy on my heart for a long time and I appreciate each of you for reading it, even if it didn't make a lick of sense.  I have appreciated every comment, every personal message, every encouragement that you've given me. 
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I have a favor to ask, pretty please.  Would you be so kind as to comment below and let me know which post has been your favorite this month?  No right or wrong answer! You don't have to register for anything.  You can do it anonymously.  I would love to see what you loved as I continue writing. 
                                                                                                                 --Thanks so much,
                                                                                                                        Sharon