I Hate That You Are Surprised That We Are Happy

Sometimes it makes me cringe when people look at Alex and I like we are doing something special. I don't mean the kind words that you leave on this blog because they are appreciated beyond imagination. I mean the times when someone looks shocked that we are functioning and functioning well. Let me explain. Kate is not hard to love. It is the easiest thing in the world. So, often it bothers me when people are surprised at how hard we work for her and our family or how we are generally not that stressed out.  (I am definitely more stressed about the Red Sox post season looming, considering their collapse last year, oh and our new cat "Bill Bailey" is a righteous dink, so that is a bit stressful, too)

Kate is a pleasure. She is not a burden. She is not a problem. She is as special to us as any child is to a parent. There are days when parenting is hard. I know that is true for all of us (except a handful of Pinterest moms who DO NOT EXIST). But, please understand that we have never and will never look at Kate as anything more than the most perfect little Kate in the world. And if we are being honest let's look at this situation with priorities in place.

I have said it before and I will say it again:
 
I said AUTISM not CANCER or DEBILITATING or FATAL.

I said she flaps, jumps and spins when she is happy. I did not say she cannot walk.

I said she does not like to look into people's eyes. I did not say she could not see.

I said she is sensitive to sound. I did not say she could not hear.

I said she struggles to talk.  I did not say she struggles to breathe.

I said she is not sure how to play. I did not say she is too sick to try.

I said she attends multiple therapies every week. I did not say we could not afford her care.

I said she might live with us forever. I did not say she had nowhere to go.

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