Blog Nosh Magazine

Learning to Accept My Autistic Son

Originally published on Mother of Confusion

My son was born after midnight during the cooler days of May, before the Central Valley could blaze triple-digit temperatures.

The delivery room was packed full of people. The doctor, several nurses, my husband, my parents and my mother-in-law were in attendance. As my son emerged into the world, I expected him to gasp and then cry about the abrupt ejection.

He did not.

Instead he was quiet and blue. The umbilical cord was wrapped around his slender neck several times. Of course I didn’t know that yet, but the jubilant faces of the others gave way to peaked, pinched expressions.

When I asked what was wrong. The response was, “Nothing. Everything’s okay. It’s okay.”

The reassurances scared me. I was only 20-years-old, but already I knew people lied when things were really, really wrong.

We'll Take that to Go!

Originally Published on Blue Yonder

You know, I really try very hard to keep our lives simple.

I think long and hard before I sign us up for something new, because things just pile up so quickly, and I really don't want my kids' childhoods wasted away in an over-scheduled, hurry up and wait blur. I want them to have the time to explore, to linger, to lay in the grass and watch ants go about their busy lives - time to breathe. I want them to take full advantage of this one time, this short time, in their lives when they get to just be.

But, try as I might, there are times when there are complications and jam packed days that just can't be avoided.

Now and again we have to visit the doctor's office, or wait for the car to be inspected, busy ourselves between lifeguard breaks or wait for a brother to finish his music lesson.

That's how the "Go Boxes" came to be.