August 17, 2022
Our Kids Intuitively Know the Value of Following Their Own Path
Intrinsic value means something is valuable or interesting because of its basic nature or character and not because of its connection with other things.
All people are inherently valuable without their connection to other things. Our uniqueness, individual qualities, and mark on this world rely on our individuality.
No two people carry the same characteristics as any other person in this world. Because of this, we all carry a special kind of value and currency.
Our autistic kids, Nixon, age six, and Nora, age three, shine a special magnifying glass on this sentiment. Their individual uniqueness with each movement throughout their day breaks down the doors of the necessity to have a connection to mundane nature that is to fits into the formula of others.
They were born to beat to their own drum.
The way they examine the world around them with a side glance or a turn of the head upside down reminds me that not everything is meant to be seen from one perspective.
The way they connect with others can be viewed as simple at times and unfiltered, but it is deeply rich as they examine the complexities of others with care. This reminds me that the world can be both complex and simple simultaneously.
When you shift your viewpoint, you see all the things others do not.
When you open your heart to feeling the world around you instead of taking on others’ perspectives of it, you get to dance with the wind, really listen to the sound of a car driving down the street, and watch the petals of a flower fall from your hand, and notice the moon when it is out in the daylight.
The common becomes uncommon because you are truly seeing it only from your own eyes. This is the beauty that our children hold.
As parents of autistic children, we live in the uncommon.
We celebrate moments that some would take for granted.
We modify our experiences to help our kids experience the outside world filled with abrasive expectations for everyone fitting in.
We shelter their spirits and drive for uniqueness because it provides us with a view of a world others to do often get to see.
Their value to me and generally to this world is intrinsic because they intuitively know the value of following their own path.
One of my many promises to them is that they will always be comfortable knowing that being an individual is what makes their value inherent. That it is an honor to celebrate them just as they are in each moment I have the opportunity to watch their view of the world around them.
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