Being Thankful

I remember the first Thanksgiving after Sammy was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism.  I thought, "what the hell do I have to be thankful for, my son has Autism".  I was still bitter, angry and heartbroken.  All I could see was my own pain and the hurt I had for my son.  I wish the me now could tell the me then that I had so much to be thankful for.  I'm so thankful that the Autism isn't as bad as it could be, and I'm so incredibly thankful that my precious son can talk to us and tell us how his day at school was because so many children on the spectrum cannot.  I couldn't be more thankful to those who have helped us and encouraged us along the way.  It has been a long road full of milestones, heartbreak, and set backs but in the long run I'm thankful that I have that sweet boy in my life.  He has accomplished so much over the past 6 years and it amazes me at the amount of determination and endurance he has.


He is a much different child than what he was 3 years ago.  3 years ago I was preparing to send my non-verbal child to preschool for the first time and struggling with the fact that he would be with people that I didn't know all day.  Little did I know that those people would play a huge part in our lives over the next several years.  People who we grew to love like family and treated my son as if he was one of their own.  A terrific group of ladies who I'm so thankful to for the time, love and compassion they gave to not only to my son but to Joe and I as well.   For the longest I couldn't look at Sammy without being filled with grief, despair because the word, "Autism" was attached to him. Once I got out of that frame of mind and started focusing on what he could do instead of what he couldn't do I found myself letting go of the anger and grief.  Instead of Sammy going to the park and me thinking, " well he can't swing on the swing and he won't play with the other kids what's the point of being here" I started thinking, "wow lets play on the slide because he loves that and then we'll look for 4 leaf clovers together since he doesn't want to be near the other kids".   If I didn't try to push the swings on him or try to persuade him to play with other kids it saved me the heartbreak of it all and lessened his anxiety.  We found ourselves having a much more enjoyable time at the park and us not leaving feeling aggravated and defeated.
I've learned to be thankful for what I have instead of what I don't and to be thankful for the things that Sammy can do instead of the things he can't.  Now days you wouldn't know by looking at him or talking to him that he even has Autism.  It's amazing how much things have changed for him and for us.
So this Thanksgiving we have so much to be thankful where our son in concerned.  Just remember that Autism isn't a handicap unless you treat it as one and then you aren't doing yourself or your child any good.  Take the good with the bad and each day as it comes.