Sunday, May 15, 2011

Surprise!

I love a good surprise. Not a "party" but, a surprise that involves finding out something fantastic about your kids that you did not expect.

Mia had a surprise for me last week. She started preschool. I had prepared myself for what I thought might be a difficult transition. I wasted some energy on that you might say. Mia did great. By the second day she literally ran to the classroom door. I did that stop and stare thing I do, mouth hanging open. Finally, I shut my mouth and smiled BIG.

I am still smiling a bit. It feels good to know she recognized almost immediately that school is fun. With autism, you just never know what to expect. And as parents, we sometimes lower our expectations almost in anticipation of what could be a disaster. We become good at it too.

Our kids with autism struggle with so many things. We parents struggle too. Autism really is a family affair. The challenges deplete us, but the victories enrich us. So, when you have a victory, however small it may be, hold it close. Remember there will be more to come.

I can't wait to see what other surprises Mia has for me. Maybe next time I can surprise myself and expect great things from her. You know what they say, "you have to believe in order to achieve".