Big Hearted People

Friends have been a challenge for my husband and I.  It's seemingly impossible to make new friends with such busy schedules and the restrictions that autism places on our family.  Our world is consumed with picture-schedule boards, strict diets, rigid routines, and numerous therapy sessions.  This simply makes it hard to relate to others.  In a sense, we've become foreign to most of our friends.  Thankfully, there are a few special people out there that can relate to foreigners.
I've been a little shocked at the reactions of some of our friends to what has happened to our son and our family. One of my best friends quit talking to me entirely because she says I've become too negative (which probably has a bit of truth in it).  So, we've ended up further secluded from others who live "normal" lives. 

If our child would have had cancer or would have died, I believe that many of them would have run to our sides to comfort and assist.  They are not heartless.  But, most people just don't know what to do with autism.  They have no connection to it, no understanding and therefore no empathy.  I've read before (somewhere) that if you have a friend that is able to walk with you through something like autism that they are truly special people.  And, I totally agree--this is exactly how I feel about our friends Sarah and Ever.  Their visit from out of town has blessed us so much and made us feel like normal people.  They ARE big hearted people, asking many questions about our situation with true concern for our family's wellbeing.  Patiently listening to our long explanations of therapies and dietary interventions, they did not act scared of us or our son.  If they only knew how blessed we are to have them as true friends and how a simple visit could turn around a negative perspective!!! Some people carry light with them without even meaning to.

THANK YOU TO SARAH, EVER, BELLA, & JACKERS!!!