Words Worth Repeating/ "Who's Weird- Besides Me?"

This is what my son with Autism says every time you give him his iPod. It was this same type of repetitive behavior that helped my husband and I figure out that he needed to be tested for Autism. We learned about Autism on the 'Sally Jesse Rafael Show'. Our son was around 10 years old by then. Doctors, teachers, as well as school district "specialist" had never even suggested that Autism might be one of his disabilities. Had we known sooner, we may have been able to teach him differently. You see, although he functions fairly well, he has certain behaviors that we just can't break. For instance, he won't get out of bed in the morning and go to the bathroom until someone tells him to. My husband or I have to be sure to get him up so he doesn't have any accidents in bed. Do we ever get to sleep in? Rarely.

Here's my advice to young parents who have been blessed with a disabled child...learn to be aggressive. You have that "instinct" that other people in your child's life won't. Also, educate yourself about your child's disability. Although the road ahead may not come easy, it can be smoother with extra effort on your part. I have found that the rewards from having my son as part of our family definitely outweigh all the trials that come with him.

Originally posted June 19, 2010 http://www.snippetsnstuff.com/2010/06/whos-weird-besides-me.html

Sick and Homeless at Christmas

A few years ago, just before Christmas, I found out that a child in my Kindergarten class was living at the Care and Share, a place in town that takes in homeless people. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I had met the little girl's mother and sister and they didn't have the appearance of being homeless or poor.

What I didn't realize about the Care and Share, until this time, was their rule stating that those staying at the facility had to be out of the building by 8:00 a.m. No exceptions. This was quite a burden for the mother and her young daughters.

About a week before Christmas, the little girl in my class got very sick; running a temperature too high for her to come to school. Since they had no place to go, her mother did the only thing she could think of. She took her sick child to a store and lay her in a shopping cart so she could sleep; pushing it all the while until it was late enough in the day that they could go back to the facility they called home.

That particular experience causes me to reflect upon the many blessings my family has that often go unnoticed; such as having a warm, comfortable home, a bed to curl up in when we are not feeling well, and an abundance of food and clothing.

Marelisa Fábrega said the following:

“Gratitude should not be just a reaction to getting what you want, but an all-the-time gratitude, the kind where you notice the little things and where you constantly look for the good, even in unpleasant situations."

I couldn't agree more.