A Mother's Day Shout-Out to Moms Loving a Child on the Autism Spectrum

Ahhh…it’s almost Mother’s Day. That magical day when the Fairy Godmother shows up and grants mothers their three favorite wishes:

1. Sleeping in
2. A washing machine that cleans, folds and puts the laundry away
3. Wine that comes out of the kitchen sink

Oh, if that Fairy Godmother would just show her a** up! Despite her lack of attendance, many of us moms will still have a special day. Twenty-four hours dedicated just to us! A day filled with extra hugs, homemade gifts and reminders from kids, young and old, why we are fortunate enough to celebrate this day, even without our Fairy Godmother and her magical wand.

All moms deserve to be celebrated today and every day. We love without condition, we give without exception and we educate without a lesson plan. Yeah, we totally deserve this day!

Although, I want to wish all moms a Happy Mother’s Day, this is a special Mother’s Day shout-out to all my mom club members loving a child with autism. Our love is as exceptional as our kids.

So, Happy Mother’s Day to the moms who have walked in our shoes, shared our fears and celebrated our kids’ accomplishments! These are just a few reasons why I think even without that overrated Fairy Godmother, you are AWEsome and so deserving of a day to celebrate you:

For making the same breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day and stockpiling all the ingredients it takes to make that same breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day.

For writing letters, sending emails and calling the CEO of Nabisco, Keebler or whomever, begging them to bring back your kid’s favorite snack that they stopped making because clearly these CEOs have no idea the peril and disruption this decision has had on your kid (and on you).

For the endless hours spent finding just the right _______ (insert almost anything here such as socks, shoes, coats, pants) that your child will tolerate and your dogged determination to know that eventually a certain brand or style will work and praying they never, ever change that brand or style once you find it and your kid wears it. (See number 2 if this unfortunate event occurs. It will.)

For the ability to foresee a change in routine or schedule as often as you can, so you are able to do whatever it takes to make sure that change does not disrupt your child’s routine and ruin his or her day.

For doing what you can to make sure your other children know that their struggles, heartaches and triumphs are no less important than their autistic sibling’s.

For putting on your armor and taking on ignorance regardless of what form ignorance may come in…family members, bullies, teachers, or the person in the checkout line at the grocery store.

For taking on the job of advocate and educator so ignorance has as little of an impact on your child as possible.

For your ability to see the world through a different perspective and appreciate the view even on the cloudy days when visibility is low.

For getting there, no matter how long it took, to understand and believe “different, not less” because now, thanks to you, your child does too.

For being there. Always. Without question.

For being here. For getting it. For your child and the next.

Thank you, AWEsome moms.

We are a pack of lionesses, a den of mama bears, a club of moms who will stop at nothing, not even on Mother’s Day, to advocate, fight and show the world the AWEsome contributions our children can make if given the opportunity, if given a voice, if given acceptance.

Happy Mother’s Day. Even without that Fairy Godmother and her magic wand, you can, and you are, making wishes come true.

Follow this journey on The AWEnesty of Autism.

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