Living as a Family with Autism – Sometimes it’s Pretty Wonderful

Living as a family with autism we’ve had both ups and down, laughter and tears, heartbreak and excitement, but through it all we’ve always been a family living with autism. This wasn’t just a diagnosis given to Cody, it’s shared by his brother, his father, and myself. Whether it’s the tough times when we sometimes get frustrated or the most wonderful times like when we celebrated Cody’s first ride in an elevator, we’re in this together. (Oh, how I wish I could put into words for you just how much of a milestone this was for Cody and all of the hard work it took to make it happen.) I sometimes just listen or watch as Cody finds joy in the things others might consider mundane or no big deal. Like that tiny speck off in the distance, way up high in the sky, which happens to be an airplane. He always catches sight of them way before anyone else and we all have to stop and focus until we can see it too. He has such a pure heart, one that simply doesn’t know how to judge or be critical of others, one that loves the most unconditional of any other. There are often times when I wish I could view the world the way that he does, in a way that’s filled with so much joy and excitement for all of the things that he loves most, some of the most simple things, really……like watching The Price is Right every day after school or boosting the number of views on his favorite YouTube videos of rides at Walt Disney World. These are activities that make him happy, so they make me happy as well. Regardless of what he might be doing at the moment, you can bet there’s a smile on his face and you can be certain that not too far away is someone who loves him most in the world watching on and smiling too. In a way I guess you could say that Cody’s autism is contagious, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.