Be a Warrier, Not a Worrier.
I typically avoid all situations where I will get sad about Cooper’s differences. At this stage in the process it’s a must for this mama. This typically includes any events or activities where there will be kids that I know that are Cooper’s age. Quitting ECFE and a local Mommy and Me group were two of the best decisions I ever made. My heart just couldn’t take it.
So I was surprised yesterday when I almost broke down at Starbucks. I was at work and at 2 pm I realized that I hadn’t left my desk all day and that my ass was actually conforming to my chair. Eek! A caffeine run was a must.
I walked into Starbucks and ordered my typical drink, Caramel Macchiato, Venti, Skim, Extra Shot, Extra-Hot, Extra-Whip, Sugar-Free. I kid! How ridiculous is that drink?!? Just plain old coffee for me.
Right in line behind me was a woman and her daughter. The little girl was younger than Cooper. She was so happy to be on a date with her mom and couldn’t contain her excitement to order a hot chocolate and a cookie. I seriously stared at her. I couldn’t stop. Her bubbliness was infectious. I shook my head as I thought, “Cooper doesn’t know what a date is. Or a hot chocolate. Or a Starbucks. Or how to order. Or how to talk. Or how to stand in line.” I shit you not, I went on in my head for over a minute. I couldn’t stop. Internal word vomit at its worst.
The little girl ordered her drink and treat, waited, said thank you and then ran to pick out a table. I kept right on staring. I had no intention to stay and have my drink there but I had to see if this little girl was going to actually sit at the table with her mom. And she did. They chatted and had a real conversation. They talked about going to the park and her grandma and her baby sister and what she wanted for her birthday. I think at one point I may have snorted out loud. I actually dread Cooper’s birthday. He won’t know what’s going on….and that’s fine at 1 and 2. He’s going to be 4 this year. He doesn’t care about friends coming or a theme or presents or any of it.
I eventually left because I realized I was probably entering creeper status. And my mood had plummeted.
I am missing out. I know I am whining but if one cannot whine on their own blog than something is wrong. I want the carefreeness of raising Cooper. I want the cute moments and the silly conversations. And less worry. Oh my God I want less worry. I hate that I spend every free minute filling out forms for health with insurance and managing therapy schedules, etc.
I am starting to plan for Cooper going to school. Can you imagine what it feels like to send a NON VERBAL, 3 year old into the world. Or on a bus. He can’t tell me if something bad happens. Or if he gets lost he can’t ask for help. What if he’s thirsty or hungry and no one listens to his nonverbal requests. These thoughts are paralyzing. Part of me wants to keeps him with me forever and hide him from all the bad stuff out there. But, I can’t. It’s not the right thing to do.
I love the story below about worries in life. I used to always be at the paralyzed place where I was incapable of functioning. Now, I am there less and less. I told Jamie a year or so ago that I couldn’t take all the worry anymore. I felt like it was weighing me down and suffocating me. I told him I needed him to take my worry for a while. I needed him to fill out the forms and manage the schedules and make the phone calls. And he did. Not for long because I am a control freak when it comes to Cooper but he took it for a week or so. And I shut down and slept. It was a very freeing thing.
I really liked the story at the end. Big hugs to you. Ofcourse it is ok to whine on your blog 🙂 I hope some day you will be able to do at least some of these things with Cooper. I do the same thing. I try not to be around kids the same age as Blackberry #2. I don’t want to be reminded that he is delayed compared to them, because of him being a preemie.
Boy do I understand this! I still worry sending my non verbal almost 6 year old to school everyday. He can’t sign, or speak or use pecs or boardmaker. I will never know what he gets up to in school except for the information teachers tell me. And watching other children doing typical things breaks my heart every time. I want you to know that others have walked this path too. You are not alone. But keep on dreaming because it may take time but one day you may just get that date at Starbucks with Cooper and he will chat to you, order and say thank you.
He may be 6 or 7 before he does it but it will be oh so special to you because you have had to wait for it. And you will appreciate everything about it and not take one single second for granted.
Much love from a fellow autism mum in Scotland x
I often wonder if mom’s are doing the same thing I am when at the park or at a store or where ever. Gauging where their son falls. Is this normal behavior?? Am I overthinking his gross/fine/cognitive/social/interpretive/motor etc skills? These are words I never thought I’d know much about and I was cool with that! Is that child climbing and discovering in the same manner or are they just as quirky and seemingly “odd” in their way of playing. I do this until I reel myself back in and exhale. “He’s 22 months relax let him be a little boy…oh sh*t why is he doing that?? Is that a sensory thing again?? Oh its time to go so I don’t have to overthink the crap outta this anymore!” Oh the anxiety. Its just a part of me now that I didn’t anticipate or ask for but it just IS until he’s older and I have more info from him. Even then I will worry! It basically sucks but no one will ever love our kid and care for them like we do every second of our lives. I simply exist to guide him through all of this. I have to.
Big hugs! I’m always comparing and noticing how other kiddos are so much more advanced. It’s hard not to do so. It’s heartbreaking.
Yes yes yes. I’ve stopped going to play dates and mom’s groups, because A) we’re so busy with therapy appointments, I don’t know when we’d fit them in anyway, and B) I got so tired of crying on the way home from the play dates. It’s so darn hard not to compare, to see how far behind your kid is, how easy things come for other kids. But when it’s just you and your family, or you watching other kids at therapy with similar struggles, oh everything is so much better. I hate comparison, but man is it so easy to do. And as for the worry, oh my goodness. I’ve had to keep reminding myself that worrying doesn’t help anybody and only hurts me. It’s better to do something then to dwell on something I can’t do anything about right now. Definitely easier said than done. LOVE that story at the end, I’ll have to remember that. Here’s to putting down our glasses right?!