Taking a Moment

I've learned many things in the last six months since we've received our ASD diagnosis.  One of those things is how NOT alone I am in this.  The statistics on those affected are mind-numbing, and just about every day I talk to or read the blog of someone parenting on the spectrum.  It's humbling hearing so many of their stories, and it reminds me of just how broad this spectrum is.  As bad as some of our days can be, there are others who are so much worse, those for whom good days are few and far between.

So tonight, I am grateful...

That we have more good days than bad.

That we have never received a recommendation from a doctor, and known we have no way of implementing it.

That although seizures affect as many as 40% of those with autism, I have never had to hold my child in my arms and wait helplessly for convulsions to subside.

That although autism still does not receive the awareness it deserves, we have a doctor who was proactive enough to get us started on the path to diagnosis early--and it made a difference.

That when I drop my child off at his therapy center three days a week, he is so excited to see the therapists that I worry he will break his neck, scrambling out of my arms.

That those same therapists are nearly just as excited to see him EVERY time, and they cannot wait to run down a list of funny and amazing things he did at the end of the day.

That although I still worry --every single time--about where the money will come from to pay for that therapy, it is somehow always there when I need it.

I am thankful that my baby has two amazing big brothers that he absolutely cannot get enough of, and a father who is indescribably amazing.

That although his speech is slow in coming, it IS coming, and not a day goes by that I don't treasure every word he utters.

That unlike so many parents whose childrens' voices are locked inside them, I have heard my child utter the words, "I love you."

That as clingy as Caleb can be at times, he SEES me--and few things make him happier than snuggling in my lap (albeit with his favorite letter in hand).

So, here's to more good days than bad.