Dear 2009,

Welcome! We’re glad you’re here! 2008 was a hell of a ride, but don’t think that you need to do any one-upping to impress us. Not at all. We’d like it just fine if you can keep things mellow.

I suppose I should define ‘mellow.’ You see, in a house where autism resides, we already have a lot happening on a day-to-day basis. We have a 14-year-old autistic boy who learned to talk but has trouble regulating emotions and behavior, navigating social interactions, dealing with sensory integration, and understanding the purpose of education and how it relates to him. We have his mother who is trying to homeschool him and work two jobs and manages to write something, cook something, and clean the house every now and then. We also have his sensitive 12-year-old brother who is figuring out his place in all of this.

So by ‘mellow,’ I mean that we don’t need people getting lost or hurt, trees catching on fire, pets getting hit by cars, computers and – heaven forbid, the Xbox 360 – crashing, furnaces going out, or bouts of food poisoning. We don’t need any more loved ones dealing with cancer or getting in car accidents. You might be thinking that I’m being negative or critical of 2008, but I don’t mean to be. 2008 was in many ways a positive year, with some big forward strides, and we learned a lot. We are more resilient and capable. All things considered, we are happy.

And we’re looking forward to a great next year of life – a year full of goal achievement (including a graduation), enriching experiences (including a problem-free trip to the Grand Canyon), and even a new nephew/cousin! We have great expectations of you, 2009. And we think you’ll do just fine.

Best wishes,

The Teen Autism Household