Blog Share: What it's Like Being Asked to Have a Child with Autism

This blog post was shared with me, and in turn, I want to share it with you.  It speaks volumes, and it just hits the nail on the head so well.  If I haven't said much of what is in the following post already in my own posts, I've mumbled it somewhere along the line, thought it, or wished I had said it.  I've been reading through more of this dear mother's posts, and let me tell you, she is really in my head!  

http://flappinessis.com/tell-it-like-it-is-on-being-asked-what-it-is-like-to-have-an-autistic-child/

I've reached a point in life in which I can say I'm grateful for autism. Were there things we had to mourn along the way?  Yes. Can I just say, though--I think that's a part of parenthood, whether your child is neurotypical or has special needs.  We all have dreams for our children, ideas of who they will become, ideas of what we want for them, then we meet the individual with the personality.  

Without autism, we wouldn't be the family we are, I wouldn't be the mom I am, and Noah wouldn't be the amazing young man he is.  He's overcome so much, and I want his story to give hope.  I'm not a saint or supermom because I raise him, he's not the lucky one because I'm his mom.  I'm the lucky one--the blessed one--because I get to be his mom.  I get to watch all of his successes and triumphs.  I get to cheer him on.  He's the real superhero because he's the one who lives with this, copes with this, functions with it, and overcomes it, daily. There isn't one thing I would change about him.

I've really felt God telling me to share more and more about Noah's story recently.  There is hope.  Autism is not a metaphorical death sentence.  Yes, it's for life, but please don't ever pity us, or Noah.  Please don't ever pity any of our families or our children.  We are so blessed to just have children!  It's a journey, a different path, but the reality is that each parent and each child takes a different journey through life than the next one.  Autism just happens to be part of ours.