Category Archives: Misc. Thoughts

The Re Week

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This particular week is my favorite time of year – the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I call it The ‘Re’ Week because I spend a lot of time doing things that start with ‘re’: review, reflect, and re-evaluate. (Those of us in the retail industry also know this week as the week of returns, but that’s not what this post is about.)

If you’re a friend or family member, or if you’ve been reading this blog a while, you know that I’m a very introverted person. I value time with the people in my life, of course, but I also value time alone, and as an introvert, I need it to recharge. Three times a week I take a fitness walk on a bike and pedestrian path that runs close to our little town, and true to my nature, I usually go alone. It’s my processing time – 45 minutes of pounding the pavement, pondering questions or issues about my life, all the while getting fresh air and a light endorphin rush. I need this time.

Often while I’m walking, cyclists or other pedestrians will pass by me on this well-loved rural path, and I smile and say hello. But one day about a month ago, I had gotten to my half-way turnaround point and realized that I hadn’t seen anyone else out there. It seemed eerie to be the only one on that stretch of the path, even though I enjoyed the solitude. I turned around to head back, and about twenty minutes later I neared my starting point, still having seen no one. But then, about five yards from the end of my walk, I saw her. It was a large female wild turkey, walking on the dirt beside the asphalt path, headed in my direction. She was about three feet tall (or long) and stunningly beautiful. I literally gasped. I’ve heard over the years that the turkey was close to being chosen as our national bird, and that we should be “glad” that the more majestic eagle won out. But let me tell you, as I slowed down in the presence of that amazing creature, all I could think was that the turkey is every bit as impressive as the eagle. I hear people call someone a “turkey” as a deprecating word, something a little gentler than “fool” or “jerk.” And now, having seen one and looked into her eyes, I’ll never think of the word that way again.

I slowed down, in awe, and watched her as she watched me. She kept slowly walking toward me, showing no fear. At first I thought perhaps she was injured, but she seemed to be walking fine, just slowly and purposefully. I swear she looked right into my eyes for a moment as we passed by each other. Then I turned my head and watched as she walked off into the brush.

Intrigued by this encounter, when I got home I tried to find out the symbolism of turkeys, especially hens. I just couldn’t get past the fact that there was no one else on the path that afternoon, and I truly believed that the turkey was some sort of sign for me. I found this great website and discovered that although the turkey (not surprisingly) is a symbol of abundance, it also symbolizes awareness, generosity, and sacrifice. The turkey is a sign of cycles, preparation, and new beginnings. To quote the site: “When a turkey visits us it is a sign that we must be mindful of our blessings [and] a message to express our strength and brilliance…and reveal our true selves.”

And it’s the perfect message for my annual “re” time. I’ll be thinking of the turkey this week as I reflect and review, looking forward to a New Year of greater awareness and a few other things on that list (perhaps even abundance).

Happy New Year, my friends! May it be filled with many blessings and special memories.

*photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Plan B

 

Sometimes I think that the last sixteen years of my life have all been one big Plan B. One long divergent path. Sixteen years ago I graduated from college and quickly found myself with two children long before Plan A had stipulated. Having two children with special needs was not in Plan A. Autism (although it starts with A!) was not in Plan A. Divorce – no. Single parenting? No way in hell was that part of Plan A.

And so I learned that I didn’t just need to have a Plan B, I was constantly living it. We all do to some extent – life takes different twists and turns, and we all must adapt to change, some of it completely unexpected. Plan B has to happen whether you planned for it or not, whether it was an actual plan or a split-second decision. You go into the grocery store, race around throwing a few things into your cart, hoping that your distressed autistic child can hold it together for just a few more minutes, and then someone turns on an electric coffee grinder and it all goes to hell. Your child shrieks and tries to bolt, and it’s time for Plan B. You leave the blasted cart in the blasted store and carry your hysterical child out to the blasted car, dragging your other reluctant child by the arm because you can’t leave him in the store because he’s a toddler for God’s sake and you’re a blasted single parent. Everybody’s either shrieking or crying or kicking you or pulling on you or staring or shaking their heads at you. And you still didn’t get the few groceries you needed. Plan B sucks. Sometimes, even, it’s the loss of a job, a home, or a loved one – and then Plan B takes on a whole different persona, a whole different significance. It’s no longer just a new plan. It’s a safety net. Those, of course, are the most life-altering Plan Bs of all.

But I’ve also learned that Plan B, whether big or small, doesn’t always have to suck. Sometimes Plan B can even offer some comfort in disguise. And even though it’s not what you wanted or hoped for, you can make it work. It’s not Plan A, but in most cases, you can live with it, sometimes because you have no other choice. Slowly you get used to it. And you might even warm up to some aspects of it.

My latest Plan B, in a long string of Plan Bs (sixteen years’ worth), involved what to do after I’d moved my two teenage boys seven hundred miles away to live with their father in Los Angeles while I stayed in Oregon to sell the house. First, Nigel’s IEP wasn’t amended so that he could go to a special school for students with autism. So we came up with the Plan B of their father moving to a better school district in the L.A. area, one that had a good special education department. Meanwhile, I felt so confident with the timing of this major change in our lives that I was certain my house would sell before August. Surely one of those two things would work out. But neither one did.

So technically, we’ve moved onto Plan C at this point, or perhaps Plan Q by now. The boys are coming back to Oregon and will attend the same schools that they did last year. I have taken my house off the market. I’ll have to work extra hard to get Neil’s team to meet his academic needs, which is the whole reason why I wanted him to go to the special school in the first place. But here’s the wait-a-minute moment, the half-the-battle factor – Neil loves his school here in Oregon. He has friends here, he’s comfortable here, he’s safe, and he’s happy. Why would I want to mess with that?! Well, there are two reasons why – one, his father’s not here. Two, the school hasn’t yet figured out how to teach him to work independently. And those are pretty significant reasons.

In spite of that, every day I’m feeling better about this particular Plan B. The boys will be back at familiar schools in which they are comfortable. And I don’t have to find a new job (even the thought of that was a huge stress for me – those of you going through it, you have my deepest empathy). Those are pretty significant reasons too. And so, although Plan B isn’t what I’d hoped for (is it ever?), I can live with it. It might turn out just fine after all.

This and the photo at the top are of our much-loved and oft-climbed tree, which split in half a few years ago during a storm. The stronger half is still standing in our front yard, and the firewood from the weaker half lasted a long time.

Believe

I just finished reading an amazing book called Fearless Nest: Our Children As Our Greatest Teachers. So many of the beautiful stories in the collection resonated with me. And one thing the book really has going for it is that my friend Carrie is one of the contributors! In addition to that, it got me thinking about what I have learned from my children. What I’ve learned from Adam deserves a post of its own, but for today, I’ll write about what I’ve learned from Neil.

It’s the power of belief.

But I’m not just talking about the belief I have in his potential, or that he would learn to talk, that he could be mainstreamed in school, that he would learn to regulate his behavior. All of that involved a tremendous amount of belief, and, for that matter, it still does. Because I truly believe, in spite of all his challenges both past and present, that he will be able to navigate adulthood with some degree of independence. Most of all, I believe he will find people who will appreciate him, and he will have friends and be happy. Even if his connections aren’t typical, I believe this with all my heart.

And I believe that he will follow his dreams in adulthood, because he already does. Since his early years he has been a huge Disney fan. He loves the characters so much that he thinks of them as friends. In fact, his stuffed Tigger prompted him to speak one of his first words and start showing some imaginative play. These days, he owns almost all of the Disney movies, animated and live-action, the older ones as well as the newer ones with Pixar, and he rotates watching them. These movies have taught him how to talk, how to interact with people, and how to tell a story, among many other skills. But mostly, they comfort and entertain him. They are a big part of his life and he loves them.

For a few years now, he has talked about a movie idea he has that combines all of his favorite animated Disney characters. I’m not clear on the plot details, but it involves him becoming an animated character and going into their world (a la Roger Rabbit, I suppose) to help save them from a new Disney villain, worse than all the Disney villains combined. A few weeks ago, he wrote a letter to the Disney Corporation outlining the plot and asking if they would be interested in his story idea for a future film. He typed it on his computer, printed it out, folded it up, put it in a #10 envelope, and addressed it by hand, which is no small feat with his dysgraphia. He sealed the envelope and came to ask me for a stamp. I mailed it the next day, not knowing what he had written, but hoping that it was coherent enough for them to at least send him a form letter thanking him for his interest. I told him that the Disney Corporation probably receives hundreds of pieces of mail daily and that it might take several weeks before he received a reply, if any. I tried to let him down easy, gently prepare him for disappointment.

But he believed.

My boy believed so strongly that he would receive a reply within two weeks. After the first week, he said to me, “It’s been a week now. My response from Disney should be arriving soon. Let me know when it comes in the mail, okay?” And I again reminded him that Disney may not be able to answer every letter they receive, etc. Still he believed. And I suppose I should not have been at all surprised when, on day eleven, a letter arrived from the Disney Corporation addressed to my son. He was shaking as he opened it, saying, “I knew they would reply!” And they did, within the timeframe that he believed they would. It was such a generous response – not a form letter at all. The kind soul who had opened my son’s letter had taken the time to write a personal response. She told him that they would probably be interested in his idea (he loved that part!), but diplomatically – gently – explained that due to legal restrictions, they could not pursue it. And Neil handled it very well. He said that he understood and was okay with it. He got his response, addressed to him on Disney letterhead, and that was enough for now. His belief came to fruition.

And what do I believe? As we go forward with our out-of-state moving plans, I find myself faced with several huge unknowns, especially now that Neil won’t be attending the special school we’d hoped for, at least not for a while. I don’t know where the boys will go to school. I don’t know when my house will sell. I don’t know where we’ll be living. I don’t know what job I’ll have. There is so much I don’t know. But Neil has taught me to believe. And I believe that everything will work out as it should. I believe that all of our needs will be met. I believe that all that I seek is seeking me. I believe that all will be well. And that is enough for now.

The Lowdown, Vol. 2

It’s time once again for another edition of Personal Posts! Some might recall that I started this series of posts back in November and, well, I started it. I haven’t written any additional posts on it since, and I figured it was time. Because, you know, I have such an exciting life and all.

When we last left off, I was not dating, and that is still the case. My co-workers and I recently had a good laugh over some headline we read that Kate Gosselin, with her new long ‘do, wants to start dating again, and I was like, “I don’t have time to date with two kids; how is she going to date with eight?!” But I’m thinking that summer might be a good time for me to try. That gives me ample time to finish up some projects and grow my hair back out. I had my hair cut a couple of weeks ago, and even though I went to the same stylist who’s been doing my hair for about five years, and even though I brought a photo of myself with the cut that she did last time that I loved, she wasn’t able to replicate it. It turned out completely different, and way shorter than what I asked for. And since, unlike Kate, I’m not into hair extensions, I’ll just have to wait a few months for it to grow out.

Next up is something I’m truly excited about – my plans to gradually switch to what’s called a raw vegan diet, or simply, raw foods. Back in September, I realized that I never felt that great. I felt like every morning I had to drag myself out of bed and had so little mental and emotional energy. I wasn’t sick, but I didn’t feel completely well. I had found out about the raw food diet through one of my clients at work, Raw Family Publishing, a year and a half ago, but at the time it wasn’t something I felt compelled to pursue. In September, I felt drawn to research raw foods due to my low energy level, and I read 12 Steps to Raw Foods. An entire chapter was dedicated to the subject of increased energy as a result of eating raw foods, along with many other positive effects. This is it! I thought. This is what I need to do!

But I knew that such a huge lifestyle change would need to be gradual for me. There are people who go 100% raw all at once, but I knew that wouldn’t work for me since I have two teenagers for whom I still need to cook. So I decided to start off with my breakfast and make that completely raw by drinking green smoothies every morning. I bought a Vita-Mix high speed blender (an investment, but worth it), and since the first week of November, I’ve had them every day. I’m convinced that when I was sick last month it would have been much worse if I’d not had my daily green smoothies. I’m addicted to them and cannot start my day without them! Since I asked Neil and Adam to be supportive, they humor me and refrain from making comments (especially the one who thought it would be a good idea to make a pizza smoothie). So I’ve got the raw breakfast down pat, and I’m slowly working my way toward a raw lunch, which I hope to accomplish in the next couple of weeks.

The progress on publishing my book came to a grinding halt when the holidays hit, and if I don’t get back to it soon I won’t be able to live with myself. Unfortunately, this time of year is my busiest with my second job, which is seasonal. For my primary job, I am an account manager for an order fulfillment company. One of my accounts is a music label with about 50 artists, and for my second job, I do their semesterly royalty calculations and statements. I’m about neck-deep in spreadsheets now. So, my friends, I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut back on posting and blogging (wah!) for a bit until I meet my deadline (meh).

If I can, I’ll pop in every now and then with a Neilism or something, like yesterday when he got home from school and decided to take inventory of all the clocks in the house – his watch, everybody’s alarm clocks, the living room clock, the microwave clock, and whichever ones I’m forgetting. He then came into my office and announced, “Looks like all our clocks are out of order. But mine is the right time.”

Ba-da-bum. Cheers!

Image credit: Patrick Nijhuis

Down Time

I am relieved to report that I am almost back to normal, after being sick for a full week. I haven’t been that sick in over eight years! In recent years, I’d been guilty of taking my health for granted – you know how when you’re well, you sort of forget what it’s like to be sick? Well, I do, since I’m not sick that often. Let me tell you, I will definitely be more conscious of my good health from now on.

But something else happened while I was sick, something I hadn’t expected. Included in all of the wonderful get-well wishes I received from my friends and family (thank you, everyone!) was a little advice in Carrie’s comment:  “. . . in the meantime, try to enjoy the down time!” It’s not something I’ve ever thought of doing while sick; it just either didn’t occur to me or wasn’t an option in the past, when the boys were younger. And granted, I still had to drag myself out of bed this week to get them off to school, pick them up, and make their dinner.  But aside from that, I actually took it easy. It’s sad how I have to get really sick before I force myself to slow down – because by then it’s not a choice. And so, I found myself with a little down time. I felt pretty lousy during it, but at one point I just sat on the couch, wrapped in my soft, warm robe with a down blanket over that. I drank a cup of tea. And I did nothing else. I just sat there. What an experience!

I just sat there and tried not to think about much of anything, like some of my sporadic attempts at meditating (which I haven’t done for a very long time). Thoughts would come, I would acknowledge them, and let them go. Thoughts of Neil’s future, of my own, and how intertwined they will be. But the great part was that I didn’t attach any emotions to the thoughts, which was very different for me. Usually all of my thoughts have emotions attached to them. I can easily get emotional about things that have never even happened, just by thinking about the possibility of them. But somehow the illness gave me a sense of distance – a bit of a novelty, I must say.

So I rested. I read. I drank a lot of herbal tea. I forced myself to stay away from the computer. For the first time ever, I read the current National Geographic issue before the new one arrived (barely – the new one arrived today and it looks amazing). I noticed that National Geographic does not use a hyphen in “email,” so now I feel justified in not doing so. Who knows if I would have noticed that had I not been sick? All these hidden benefits – down time, thoughts without emotion, proofreading insight. I’ve been missing out.

But now it’s back to the grind – and Christmas a week away, no less. Fortunately, because I had pushed myself prior to getting sick, I have nearly all of my shopping done. And although I’m not completely 100%, I feel calmer than I did a week ago. I feel sane. I feel like I’m ready for the busyness of having holiday guests, cooking and baking, and getting the boys ready to go to L.A. to visit their dad. A lot to do, but I am rested and ready. I didn’t see it coming (getting sick) and thought I would totally fall behind, but it turned out all right after all, as things often do when you don’t fight what is. Sometimes, you get the rest you need, and you might even learn something while you’re at it.

Sitting This One Out

Long-time readers of this blog might remember that last November I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel-Writing Month). The object was to complete a 50,000-word (approximately 170-page) novel in 30 days, and somehow I did it! It’s a very rough draft, of course, and I intend for the finished book to be double the pages, so I still have more work to do on that one. This year, I was very excited about trying my hand at another one. I had a plot outline and character sketches that I’d been toying with for a while. I was looking forward to being Kyra‘s “writing buddy” as I was Vicki‘s last year. I was anticipating another November of frantic but thoroughly enjoyable writing sessions. I couldn’t wait.

And then, a week or so ago, reality hit. I took a good, long, objective look at my life at the moment. Last year, I was working part-time while I homeschooled Neil; this year I’m working full-time and also took on the volunteer position of the Southern Oregon Chapter Rep for the Autism Society of Oregon. And with all the regular insanity of raising two children by myself, there’s just no time for NaNo this year. And I’m deeply disappointed.

So, I’ve decided to do NaNoWriMo SP*, the single parent version. The object is still to write a novel of at least 50,000 words, but there is no time limit. Because, by God, if you can write a novel while working full-time and raising children by yourself, well, it doesn’t matter how long it takes. The fact that you’re doing it at all is mind-blowing. And this way you’ll still get to experience frantic-but-thoroughly-enjoyable writing sessions. All year long!

*yes, I made it up. But I really think the NaNo people should consider offering this as an option for the more time-challenged writers who want to participate. Think of the possibilities!

With My Eyes Closed

Most of you know that I am a single parent. From mid-June to mid-August, my sons visit their father 700 miles away, and I get a much-needed break. I get some extra work done, take trips, and get a little time to myself – and time to miss my boys like crazy. Two months is too long of a break if you ask me, but we’ve been doing this for nearly eight years, so we deal with it.

But those ten months – from mid-August to mid-June – are all me. I am a full-time SP of two. Some days it feels impossible to fit it all in. Some weeks are so full that I feel like I just can’t do it anymore. I finally reach Friday night and collapse on the couch with a glass of wine and stare at the TV because I can’t even think straight. And so, I’ve written a bit about single parenting, including my 5 tips for single parenting with autism. When I think of that post it makes me laugh (hysterically) because it’s so difficult for me to do the things I am suggesting that other people do! Not practicing what I preach in that regard, that’s for sure. I never applied for respite. Ever. Hadn’t heard of it, didn’t know it existed. Missed that boat. My life feels so disorganized. I don’t have time to exercise. Sometimes I fear that I’m a walking “before” photo of a nervous breakdown.

So it doesn’t surprise me that last week, after trying to cram a bunch of errands in one fell swoop, I forgot the toilet paper. Not just as in “I went to the store and forgot to buy toilet paper,” but as in “I bought toilet paper at the store and forgot to bring it home.” And it took me eight days to remember that I forgot it. I was going through my wallet full of receipts at the end of the week and saw it on the receipt – a 12-pack of Scott’s 1000-sheet rolls. I get that kind because it lasts longer, so I have to buy toilet paper less often. So infrequently, in fact, that when I do buy it I just leave it on the bottom rack of the cart in the parking lot. And then I drive away. And I don’t remember that I left it in the parking lot until eight days later when I see it on the receipt and realize that I don’t remember bringing the large package into the house. No recollection whatsoever. Here I am, in the store, so proud of myself for thinking ahead because I don’t need toilet paper yet, we’re only half-way through the current 12-pack, but it’s on sale for a fantastic price, like, half what I usually pay, so I put it on the bottom rack of the cart. I am careful to mention it to the checker so that he rings it up and I pay for it, but then I promptly forget about it.

Oh, eff me, I mutter at the receipt. It’s not like it was a huge financial loss, but I just think, really? I try to get ahead of the game and this is where it gets me. I briefly consider calling the grocery store to explain what happened, to ask if maybe one of their courtesy clerks remembered seeing an abandoned multi-pack of toilet paper when corralling the carts. Eight days ago. I dismiss it – like I have time to do that in the first place. Chalk it up to loss – one 12-pack of Scott and my semblance of sanity. I’ve had to let go of worse.

But my subconscious, it would seem, will not let it go. Unbeknownst to me, my subconscious ruminates for a few more days. It thinks, Yes, she’s got a lot on her mind, a lot on her plate, but this isn’t the worst shape she’s ever been in. Surely she didn’t leave the toilet paper on the bottom rack of the cart in the parking lot. My subconscious works on this for three days, apparently, and then all of a sudden, while sitting in front of my computer and not thinking about the toilet paper, something pops into my head. A flash of memory:  I am putting the toilet paper on top of the vacuum cleaner because there is no room on the shelf where I usually store it. I gasp and run down the hallway to the closet where I keep the vacuum cleaner. I rip open the door and there is the Scott 12-pack, sitting on top of the vacuum cleaner. And I laugh.

I laugh because I realize, once again, that it’s not as bad as it seems. I may not be exercising yet (must get back into yoga), and I sure need to organize my time better (life coach, maybe?), but I think I’ve got a handle on things. If I can remember something as insignificant as the toilet paper I thought I forgot, I’m doing all right. Right? I can do this. I can do this with my eyes closed, it would seem. Some days, at least.

End of an Era

With the school year ending, it’s time for me to hang up one of my hats – for good. For the past year and a half, I have been homeschooling Nigel, and in September he will attend the high school for a full day, so I will no longer be his academic teacher. When he started back at the middle school in March, it was only part-time, so I continued to homeschool him for language arts and social science. He made some amazing progress in those areas, writing a total of five essays, including a comparative analysis of Ancient Greek and Roman cultures. His case manager at the middle school was so impressed that she took a copy of that essay to give to his future teachers at the high school. I’ll have to make sure they realize how much of an effort it was for him to complete that; it took him weeks to write it. They need to be aware of that before they expect him to produce more work – or at a faster pace – than he is capable of doing.

At any rate, come September my academic responsibility will be limited to helping him with assignments and encouraging his organizational skills. I will no longer be designing his curriculum, preparing lesson plans, or teaching the material. It was doable in middle school, even though it took me a while to get used to the idea, but I don’t think I could do it for high school. I mean, I consider myself to be fairly intelligent, but there’s a lot of high school knowledge that I would need to relearn in order to teach it to my son. It would take quite a bit of effort and time, and as a single parent of two, I’m in short supply of those items. I also had to radically reduce my work hours so that I could homeschool Nigel for the amount of time that I did; as a result, my bank account is in sorry shape. So continuing to homeschool is really not an option, and I’m glad that Nigel no longer needs it. We’re both looking forward to his return to full-time regular school, for many reasons.

But there’s something else that happens at the end of every school year, and has for the past eight years: Nigel and Aidan go visit their dad in Los Angeles for several weeks. LA is nearly 700 miles away from us; it’s a long drive. And another world away. They get a taste of big-city life, get to bodysurf on warm beaches, and Nigel gets to go to the day camp for autistic kids. These are all things they get to do that they can’t do at home in southern Oregon, and I am glad that they have the opportunity.  I’m also glad they get to spend time with their dad, whom they miss so much during the school year. But I miss them while they’re gone every summer. It’s just consuming, this missing. It’s not like when they’re gone for a week at Spring Break. One week is nothing. But seven, eight, is a daunting expanse that cannot be filled. Maybe I’m being melodramatic – I mean, after all, we go through this every year. But it never gets easier. I walk down the hall and see their empty rooms. I can’t watch a movie or eat ice cream without thinking of them and missing them. True, I’m keeping busy, especially since I’m back at work full-time, thanks to my wonderful employers. Life is full and good, but there’s this void with the boys gone. It doesn’t feel natural. I feel disjointed without them. And I’ve got a long summer ahead of me.

Since it’s impossible for me to go more than a month without seeing them, I’ll be visiting them next month, so that will break up the time, make it a little more bearable. For a while now, Nigel’s been requesting to go to the Grand Canyon, so three weeks from today, that’s what we’ll be doing. I can’t wait to share another adventure with them, but mostly I can’t wait to see them, hug them, to be in their presence. Of course, until then, I have phone calls to look forward to: “Hello, Mom. This is Nigel [insert last name] speaking.” Or perhaps a conversation like this one. Oh, well. I’m just happy to hear their voices.

So summer begins. And it just dawned on me that I’ve essentially combined two separate posts here – the end of homeschooling and missing my kids. Correlation? Nada. Let that be a testament to how disjointed I feel with my sons being away! I can’t even write!

Happy Mother’s Day!

As we moms so often do, I’ll be taking my kids to see a movie that I could easily wait until it’s on DVD to see. But they really want to see it, and so it’s my treat to them. In five minutes we’ll be going to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and I’ll try to suffer through the shirtless Hugh Jackman scenes. Take one for the team, you know? So unfortunately I don’t have time to write the Mother’s Day post I’d hoped to write, the one about how much all the moms I know inspire me, how glad I am to know them, and how much they mean to me. All of them – from my mom, to my boss, to my co-workers, to my friends, to my readers, and to my sister, who’s been a mom for a month. Thanks for being there, for showing me the way, for encouraging me, and for just being your wonderful selves. I hope you’ll accept this re-posting of the Mother’s Day post I wrote last year, because I’m on my way out the door to spend some quality time with Hugh Jackman my boys. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you!

Fourteen years ago I celebrated my first Mother’s Day as a mother-to-be. My then-husband gave me a card saying what a wonderful mom he knew I’d be, and my own mom gave me a card with the same sentiment. I think back to the person I was then, not having any idea of the depth of emotion I would experience because of the little person in my belly and the one who would come after him.

Being a mother, autism or no autism, has taught me more about life than anything else I’ve experienced. Just the knowledge that it’s my job, my responsibility, to give these guys all the tools they need to lead a successful, happy life is enough to blow my mind. There are plenty of articles and books out there about how to raise good kids, how to be a better parent, but nothing can really prepare you. You have to jump in with both feet and just trust that you’ll be okay. That you’re going to make a few mistakes, and you’ll run into a few rough spots, but you’ll handle them. You’ll get through it and keep going.

As we moms know, being a mother isn’t always easy but it’s always worth it. We live for the days when we take our kids somewhere that they thought would be boring, and then not only can we tell that they really like it (as we knew they would), but they come up to us and hug us and say, “I really like this place, Mom. Thanks for taking me.” (That was Aidan at a museum last weekend.) And we live for the days when our children receive special awards or when, for the first time, they apologize for their behavior on their own instead of us having to do it (that was Nigel recently). We savor the triumphs, be they large or small, and think We’re getting there. I must be doing something right.

And the day will come when they are on their own. Even those of us with differently-abled kids will go through this change, on some level. I often wonder how I will feel when that time comes. How hard will it be to let go? It’s hard enough for me to let them ride their bikes to the grocery store! But I take comfort in the idea that it will happen little by little, just like how Nigel learned to talk, how he’s learning to be responsible for himself. I also take comfort in knowing that I will always be their mom. Nothing will change that.

So, here’s to all the good moms, like my own (love you, Mom!), and my friends who keep me sane. We need all the support we can get, in all the mothering stages of our lives.