I asked Emma whether she wanted to finish the story she began about an otter or talk about something else. She wrote:
“I want to talk about the New Year.
“This is a meaningful year because I am beginning to write about my ideas about autism and how people need an education in applying what Autistic people feel.
“Fear is non-living. It cripples the mind and deadens the soul. Raging beasts of pain masquerading as stims cause many to misunderstand.
“I am not without thought. My forever beautiful mind needs nourishment all the time. Autistic people are left to linger in a secluded world by those who could be helping instead of harming them.
“Please care enough to alter how you interact with those who may seem different than you, but who are actually the same. We are all beings with similar feelings and hopes.
“Do not believe your fears. They will lead you the wrong way.”
Emma told me she wanted me to publish this on the blog today. Emma turns twelve this month. I have spent more than fifty years learning what she already knows. 
Em & Ariane on New Year’s Eve ~ 2013
