Tuesday, December 8, 2020

The Christmas Orange

Lucas loves oranges. Loves. Them. Today he took a 3 lb. bag to Brighter Futures to work on an Occupational Therapy goal of peeling his own oranges. (He carried that bag proudly, it was pretty cute:) Anyway, after his session, here he comes carrying his bag of oranges.  Carrying it high, like it's a prize. So I asked him if he wanted to give everyone an orange. Without hesitation, he gave everyone in the waiting room one of his precious oranges with a sweet smile on his face. 
I think it made everyone's day. Such a simple gesture for most. A miraculous, joyful gesture from my adult son with Autism. Thank you Lord, for this manna that falls from Heaven, in the form of these unexpected moments. My heart is full. 

Today, to give an orange 
at Christmastime is a gesture  
of selfless love. 
Sharing what we truly  
value is the true spirit  
of Christmas. 

May we, like Lucas, 
find ways to share the simple 
Joys of Christmas with others. 
It can be as simple as giving an orange❤️
#AutismAllGrownUp

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Day 95
I'm speechless.....
Angry Autism Mama

Nicholas accidentally "mooned" a woman at Kroger this evening. BIG DEAL. I usually have him wear suspenders, he has no behind at all. The suspenders hamper his independence, however I don't want his pants slipping down and him having to constantly pull them up. So anyway, we had an unplanned quick trip into Kroger. I was taking our items out of the cart to be checked out when Nick asked to go get a Dr. Pepper out of the end cooler. I give him the ok, and he goes to get his drink. I'm keeping my eye on him as I proceed with our transaction. I see him bend over looking for the Dr. Pepper. Great....that one is empty, so onto the next 3 coolers until he finds one. He brings it (and a Pepsi for Lucas:) to complete our purchase. The 2 country gals that came up behind us in the checkout lane said, "Honey, his pants sagged down and showed his butt when he bent over." Ok, this wasn't even the worse. They knew that ticked me off. However, I apologized to her and told her he sure didn't do it on purpose. That he has sensory issues due to his Autism and he can't wear just anything. Also, he is big and tall. People have NO IDEA how difficult it is to find clothing that fits him, that he can tolerate, that he can wear to dress himself, for independence, due to fine motor issues. I know she really regretted saying anything to me, lol. I almost felt sorry for her. No, the worse was the woman that these 2 ladies pointed out to me. They said she stopped in her tracks and just looked absolutely horrified. Well.....I had to go find that woman, to enlighten her, you know. Some people aren't worth your breath, she was one of them. The last thing she said to me was "Well, I didn't know he was HANDICAPPED". I mean, really lady? Handicapped, the way she used it, was offensive. Like using the word "retarded". Also Mean Lady, what part about my Nicholas, from his neon green headphones to his size 15 Velcro sandals made you think he was a typical guy shopping at Kroger? I finished our "conversation" by saying "I sure am sorry your trip to Kroger was ruined by seeing a big ole butt. I then asked Nicholas to tell her he was sorry that she saw his behind🌝 We left her sputtering and I whispered to her that red wasn't the best color on her;) We then left, with our heads held high. It seemed as if every clerk there smiled and spoke to us on our way out of the store. They saw that woman, and tried to make up for her rudeness. Autism Awareness and Acceptance? Heck, forget that. How about basic human kindness for your fellow man?