Something happened yesterday that so beautifully exemplifies this Thanksgiving season…
To give you a little background, I work with a family who has 3 children with Autism; a 15 year old, a 13 year old, and an 8 year old. One of them is so self-injurious his head has permanent bruises and welts from where he punches himself in the temples. His knuckles are constantly scabbed. He hurts himself probably at least 400 times per day (and that’s a conservative estimate). He also frequently undresses to poop and pee all around the house. His sisters roam the house, humming and slapping things. Not any of them speak. They communicate through crying, pointing, grabbing, and one of the kids uses some sign language. Their refrigerator has a chain and lock on it, to prevent the kids from over-eating. Their bathroom remains locked to prevent the kids from showering non-stop. Their front door to the mobile home they live in remains locked with a key to prevent elopement. Some of their furniture is broken because of one of the kids slamming his body into it during a tantrum.
This is their life….everyday. 3 Autistic kids, each with very severe disabilities in communication; each with very severe behaviors.
So, while I was there yesterday, the mother said something to me that really made an impression…
She said, “I see the kids at their school. They are in wheelchairs, and with walkers. I feel so sad for them. They can’t run and play. Some people feel bad for my kids, but they can play with toys and they can run around. But those kids, I feel bad for them.”
What an incredible perspective. This mom of 3 displays no pity for herself or her circumstances. She finds joy in her children’s abilities, rather than despair in their disabilities. She may or may not know how many people feel sad for her, because of her lot in life, but she chooses to find joy in her circumstances, and instead offer her sympathy for those with physically disabled children. This mom inspires me. She has an incredible perspective on life.
theautismonion.com 