Little Things Make a Big Difference

Let’s talk tough days. We all have them.  You know the days the car breaks down, the fridge stops working, our child gets sick, etc.  But when you’re a special needs parent it can be all that and so much more!  Many times as parents and caregivers we don’t give ourselves the grace to admit how much life is weighing on us.  We keep going because keeping going is all we can do.



Maybe Joe woke up at 2am and won’t go back to sleep, or maybe he never did sleep.  What about that IEP meeting in the morning?  You know the one you’ve been up worrying about.  There are Dr.’s appointments, therapy appointments, decisions you never thought you’d have to make and advocating! 

We. Never. Stop. Advocating

This is just a glimpse into the lives of so many parents of special needs people.  On top of all this, we have the constant financial worries, education and therapy worries and the worry of who’s going to help take care of my child when I can’t.  These are huge and the weight can sometimes be unbearable.

Do you feel stuck? Like you don’t know what to do next.  Do you feel like no one understands or is listening?  Do you feel sad, scared, anxious?   If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us have felt this and more.  Don’t hold it in, give yourself the grace to admit that it’s hard, emotionally and physically.  Sometimes just admitting it and allowing ourselves to feel instead of masking it can release part of the weight.

A dear friend once told me that the Autism life is like a roller coaster, only thing is there can be a lot more downs then there are ups, but rest assured there are always ups. Sometimes we have to look for the ups more then we want to.  Shoot... Sometimes we don’t even want to see them!  But they are there.  Maybe it’s that moment your child looked at you and smiled when you picked them up from school.  Maybe they ate one green bean or tried a new food.  Maybe they slept for 4 hours instead of 2.  Oh my gosh, maybe they signed a new word!  Ups aren’t always big, sometimes they are small things, but small things can make a BIG
difference.

Find the small things in your day.  The ones that make your heart smile.  You deserve it!  Keep on keeping on and know you are not alone.