Dear parents of typical children,
Sometimes, I don’t like you. I am sorry but it is true. It isn’t because you are a bad person or because you have done anything wrong, but it is because you have something that I don’t. You get to experience things that I don’t. I am so jealous of you. I don’t even think you realize how great you have or what the alternative would look like. You have neurotypical children.
Your children can talk. Your children make friends and go to birthday parties. You get to be soccer moms or football moms. You get to play taxi driver and drive them to all of their extracurricular activities. You get to look forward to them growing and one day getting married, having children, and a career. Do you even realize how lucky you are? Do you realize that we don’t all get this?
Some moms long to hear their child’s voice. Some moms don’t get to see their children play sports or drive them around. Some moms have eight-year-olds that are frozen in time. Some moms wonder what will happen to their children when they can no longer care for them. There will be no college graduation, girlfriends, proms, daughters-in-law, or grandchildren.
My heart aches and hurts when I read your posts sometimes. Not because I am not happy for you but because I see my son falling further and further behind. As other children grow, he seems to be stuck in his two-year-old mentality. Not only is he getting left behind, but I feel like I am getting left behind as my friends enter new stages in life with their children. Autism moms are stuck.
Don’t take for granted what you have. Thank God every day that your children can talk, that you can have game nights, playdates, and even trips to the grocery store. Every little word is a blessing and a miracle to the mom who never gets the joy of hearing those sweet little words.
Sincerely,
An autism mom of two