Update: Emily wrote this post in January of 2014 and has a follow-up piece she wrote in April of 2014. You'll want to be sure to read "Love to the Max" to see how Emily's church and community reached out to Max! We came to see a movie. But I never imagined that we would become the entertainment. Patty and I found our pre-assigned seats and sunk into the plush leather, with Max sandwiched … [Read more...]
Caught Mid-Air
I’d just fallen into my aisle seat ready for two hours of solitude, a rare commodity in my autism-filled life, when the woman in the window seat leaned in, “I hardly had time to unpack from Colorado, and now I’m flying to Nashville.” She spoke as if it were the first time she’d realized it. “And I’m going to be ninety-six in January.” My face widened with a smile as I reached for her, almost … [Read more...]
Joy Burst
“My son has a job here,” I said in a much too loud voice, loving the sound of it. “So we have a family membership.” The girl behind the counter scanned my YMCA card. “My son got this for me, because he works here.” I almost couldn’t help repeating myself. I knew I sounded like one of those older women…the ones with the multi-colored tracksuits and cloth visors who constantly refer to their … [Read more...]
What’s Wrong With The Boy?
I knew he was too big, but only by a few years, and a few more inches. The bright red yardstick on the side of the ball pit made it pretty clear that my then 14 year old was to be sidelined. As I let go of my son’s hand, I imagined people looking at Max as if he were King Kong swinging from the top of the McDonalds Play Land tower while all the other moms and tiny children stood below covering … [Read more...]
Will There Ever Be Enough?
“Will we ever run out of rock?” I asked my friend. It was a completely blonde question. But it came when very few brain cells were willing to cooperate. My dad was in the hospital, critically ill. I walked our stretch of beach with an understanding friend. “No,” my smart friend said. “The pressure of the earth continually forms new rock deep below the surface.” “Oh, right.” I responded, trying to … [Read more...]
Drenched
Since autism, my life has somehow careened into the twilight zone and my to-do list has gone from cute comments on post-it notes to a scroll requiring two small gnomes to transport it from one room to the next. I try to imagine if there is a way to use my time more efficiently - to wake earlier, to go to bed later, to take coffee as an IV drip. But there is only one of me. And my time feels … [Read more...]