Monday, May 31, 2010

Mem-or-i-al Day

I can't say "Memorial Day." It comes out all screwy, and I end up saying it 19 times, not one of them right. Gah. If I go at it one syllable at a time it helps, but I rarely remember. Every time I go to say it, I think, "This is it. I've got it this time!" And every time, it comes out a mess.

The biggest event of the year with the HFA/AS group I go to is its Memorial Day picnic at a big park in the city. This year, 50 people came, and every one of them brought food! My parents and I went to the picnic. I stood around awkwardly, sat with some friends and listened a lot and tried to join in the conversation, and then, getting tired, went over to sit with my mom and the other parents she was with. All the good food aside, I wasn't having all that much fun and was getting ready to go home after 2 hours.

And then, the parents of one of the guys in the group who I talk to online mentioned that they read my blog. They said that their son had trouble expressing why he does certain things, but that by reading my blog, they could gain some insight his mind. It utterly made my day to hear that I was helping someone understand their child better. From experience, the parent-child bond can be very difficult at times with an autistic child, and if I can help someone ease the strain, I'm so grateful. I'm not saying that parents don't love their autistic children or that the children with autism don't love their parents, and both beyond belief, just that the differences in how we both face the world can cause confusion and even frustration.

To the mom and dad I mentioned above, God bless you and your son. You have done an incredible job with him, and your love, patience, and hard work over the years with him shows. He is a kind and generous guy, and I am blessed to call him my friend.

Though unrelated, I also need to mention that I've found an aide! Her name is Sarah, and she's 21. She is Catholic but is willing to come to church with me in the event that my mom can't, and she likes cats. She nannies for a family of 5, and the 8-year-old girl has autism and anxiety, so she has experience. We have plans to head to the mall on Friday, and I can't wait. I almost never get to go out with someone my own age and just have fun and talk, even though I'm not so great at the talking part. So, leave a comment to say hello to Sarah, and she'll see it.

7 comments:

  1. Hi Sarah! I am glad that you will be helping Lydia and hope you guys have fun together :)

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  2. Hey Sarah! Hope you're ready to have more fun than you can shake a stick at - I'm sure you two will have a great time.

    Lydia you have helped me understand my Bear more than I can ever thank you for and I feel blessed to call you my friend.

    :D

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  3. Hi Sarah!! You two have fun. Lovely making a new friend, but pretty tiring too! Hope the first day out is all you hope for :)

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  4. Hi Sarah! I hope that you and Lydia have a wonderful time at the mall.

    Lydia, you may be surprised about the talking once you feel comfortable :-) I am excited for you to be going out with someone in your age group.

    Your blog is indeed very insightful. I think aside from the blog helping famililes understand their wonderful kids, it shows your on line friends that they are not alone in how they feel and the things they go through on a daily basis. Keep blogging...you are doing a wonderful job!

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  5. Hi Lydia. Thank you for your thoughtful and gracious comments. We truly enjoyed talking to you and your parents yesterday at the picnic. We look forward to talking again soon and hope that you have a good time with your new aide on Friday.

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  6. Hi Lydia. I love your blog! I have a son with autism. Please feel free to follow my blog also...

    http://www.bluelightresource.com

    Thank you!

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  7. So cool about Sarah! She sounds like a trooper going to the mall with all those kids!

    Glad you had a good time.

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