The Benefits

No matter what your situation, there is always a bright side, right? I know I spend plenty of time venting about the hard parts of autism land, but the truth is...there are some times when Diva Girl's autism has been a blessing of its own kind. Curious? Read on, my friends.

1. This weekend, Diva Girl got sick on the day of her birthday party. She ran 103 fever and we had to cancel the whole shebang. And you know what? She wasn't a bit disappointed! So far, Diva Girl hasn't really gotten the whole concept of some fun event happening sometime in her future. The glory of that is that she is never disappointed when things don't work out! We never have to console her because a playdate fell through or an event got rained out. Sure it's a small thing, but let me tell you, I can't imagine how horrible it would have been to have had to tell a kid "Sorry, not only are you sick but that means you can't have your birthday party!" It's called silver lining.

2. I've gotten to the point where I've become fairly confident with my parenting out in public. Because you know, if someone ever gives me attitude about how she is behaving or how I parent, I can just tell them they don't have a stinking clue and continue to ignore them and go on my merry way. I would probably not be that way if I just had typical kiddos, I think I would care more what people thought. Diva Girl gives me the gift of confidence.

3. I get to enjoy so many little victories! Every word she says, every goal she meets, no matter how small, is cause for celebration. For two years I took so many things for granted. Now I take such pride and joy with every accomplishment, and you know what? It's kind of fun! I even find myself celebrating every milestone with Rascal and enjoying his "babyhood" in a way that I didn't with Gabriella. Pride has taken on new meaning.

4. We have yet to hit the "Why?" stage. You know, that annoying typical 4 year old thing. You tell them something and they say "why?", and you answer and they say "why?" and you answer and...you see where this is going. Drives me nuts. But we still live in unquestioning bliss! Sure, I want her to understand questions well soon enough, but for now I really don't mind having that really annoyingly exhausting phase delayed.

5.There is no real deception in Diva Girl. Sure, if I say "no" to something she just goes to someone else and asks...but she does that right in front of me, it's nothing sneaky. The girl can be defiant, but at least I don't have to worry about lies.

6. Autism has opened me to a whole world of amazing people. I've met amazing women that I would otherwise never have crossed paths with. I've discovered that people are tremendously generous. I've seen people be touched by Diva Girl's story, and have been downright shocked by those who have chosen to donate so that she could get the help she needs. Some of the most wonderful people I know are either on the spectrum or related to someone that is.

I'm sure that there are some more "benefits", but I am done for now. My little girl is snuggling up and making it hard to type...and who can resist a 45 pound cat?