Thursday, March 18, 2010

Funny how things come into our lives

Okay, today I am finally getting to the post that I have been wanting to do all week.  But, this morning I woke up and knew that the delay had happened for a reason... now follow me for a minute here people;  This is where I had started earlier in the week:
I'm not positive which of the blogs I read that hooked me up with Mom Nos, but I'm really glad they did.  I will definitely always remember the very long but very memorable post that got me hooked, it was about her son's connection with Dierks Bentley.  The blog is about the joys of being a mother of a boy with Autism.  And I say it that way on purpose.  Mom NOS makes it sound as if it is a joy, as well it should be.  All of our children are a joy to behold, and she never lets us forget it.
Its' funny, because when I first started reading her blog, I sort if felt like I was intruding.  Here I was with 3 "normal" kids, and I thought that the blog was meant more for moms of special needs kids; but the more I read, the more I learned that the lessons I learned there I apply to all parts of our lives.  Then. this morning I was reading a part of a series that she is writing and a light bulb clicked on in my head.  I have something very in common with Bud, her son.  To a fraction of a degree, I deal with the same brain issues that Bud goes through on a daily basis.  That is why I was so attracted to her posts and was drawn to them like a moth to flame!
Right, so here it is Thursday morning, and I check back in to the same series and read it with tears running down my cheeks.  The series of posts is Mom NOS talking to her son's class about how Bud's hair dryer brain fits in a toaster brained kind of world!  The way in which she explains it all, makes perfect sense to the ten year old students she is lucky to be spending lunch with.  She has really done a fabulous job getting through to these kids and answering all of their questions as to why her son is different.
So, what does all of this have to do with me?  Well, in a funny way, a lot.  I have been thinking about the similarities of brain issues a lot over the past few days.  The more I read about Bud's issues with noises, over-stimulation and struggling with medication the more I empathize.  And Bud's stories, they are all very touching, thank goodness he has so many advocates in his life.  I have also read almost all of the comments on her blog and it does not appear that is the case for all of the folks that read the blog.
Again, timing is everything.  This may sound sort of funny, but I have been looking for a group to start working with when I get my book done; which is right around the corner now (yes, I know I keep threatening that, but this time it's a go!).  Now, I don't mean a "group" like, gee I pick Autism as my "cause" to step up on my soap box.  No, I mean that I have so many kids that I would like to help with my little piece of the world that I have to start somewhere, and since I have a connection with these kids specifically, I have decided that I would like to have some of my first author/Marcel visits (especially ranch/author visits) be with autistic children.
My animals are fantastic with special needs and have plenty of first hand experience.  This is an avenue that I have wanted to explore for a long time.  I am still going to go the traditional author visit route, hopefully to put a little food on the table so to speak, but I will do the ranch visits for fun!  Thanks for the idea Mom NOS! 

2 comments:

Daisy said...

Many children on the spectrum have an affinity with animals. I think animals realize that these kiddos are not threatening, and they react accordingly.
We took my son to a nearby Llama-Rama when he was young. He loved the way the llamas hummed, and he giggled each time he bumped into one!
He's 18 now, so he wouldn't giggle, but he takes good care of our pet rabbits. :)

Mary said...

That's fantastic! And just to come full-circle on the funny way that worlds collide - our neighbors across the street have llamas, and Bud loves to see them when they're out for a walk.

Best of luck with your book's publication and this fantastic plan!