For those who missed the fun, yesterday was the #AutismPositivity2013 Flashblog where people sent in thoughts about the theme “1,000 Ausome Things” in an effort to counter at least some of the ongoing negativity surrounding autism and those who are autistic. All the posts have been compiled ‘here‘. I helped tweet, share, google+ and pinned the posts as they came flooding in and WOW! It was exhilarating to read so many words written by Autistic people, young and not so young, non-autistic parents, Autistic parents, siblings, cousins, educators and everything in between. There were bullet points, numerical lists, stories, photos and even a couple of videos!
It was wonderful to see so many coming together over a shared idea. A moment when the common goal was to rejoice. A tiny moment when it wasn’t about anything other than what was AUSOME about a neurology we have come to call autism. And it reminded me of something. It reminded me of a time in my marriage when a therapist suggested Richard and I make a note every night, not of all that was wrong, or a list of our grievances, but a list of all the other had done right. A list of all that was ‘good’. These are subjective words, but we understood the goal was to look for the positive in the other. And guess what? It was the single best advice anyone ever gave us! When we concentrated on that which the other was doing that was kind, took notice of the little gesture made, the loving glance, the dish that was put away, the trip to the store for the milk that no one had remembered to buy, all those little acts each person did, when those were noticed, they added up to something bigger. They added up to an expression of love neither of us could have voiced.
That’s what yesterday’s Flashblog was about… love. Self love, love of another, hundreds of voices expressing love.
This image was created by the very talented Lori Miller Degtiarev of the blog A Quiet Week
Emma's Hope Book 