But, We Kept Trying
We are a beach family.
My husband and I met at the beach. For years we have visited different beaches and resorts to enjoy the sun, sand and water.
That is…until our little Braxton turned two.
Although we didn’t get an official diagnosis until he was 3, I knew from the time he was born that he was different.
This diagnosis, autism, robbed our family of the one thing we all loved to do together.
The sand felt like glass.
The sound of the waves might as well have been jet engines.
The sun was too bright.
The openness of the area made him feel unsafe.
The people made him nervous.
And it made me….miserable.
Since I am his person (and he is mine), I was the one he would cling too, cry on, and be combative with.
I was the one who would spend all the time in the room while everyone played.
But, we kept trying. I have had more than a thousand people stare at us, tons of whispers, and a man that screamed I needed to get a belt out.
I have cried more tears than anyone can know. But we keep trying. Pushing him out of his comfort zone-a little at a time.
Next week, our little man turns five. He is starting to read, write (very large and wonky), is verbal with delayed communication skills, and this week, HE LEARNED TO LOVE THE BEACH!
The sand isn’t glass-it’s this amazing stuff that allows you to see your foot prints.
The water isn’t scary-it’s fun to jump the waves.
The sun isn’t too bright-it helps you see your shadow.
The birds aren’t going to attack-they are a blast to chase and very scared of you!
It is a huge milestone in this journey we are on! For the first time in our autism world, we all had fun together on the beach!
Now we can go to the room, wait for a meltdown over the slow WIFI and smile knowing a meltdown cannot take away our win today.
Today, we kicked autism’s behind.
Tomorrow it will kick ours….and we will live with this back and forth balance….with our boxing gloves on ready to take on the next battle for our boy.
Written by, Jennifer Boyer
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