Every girl should have a friend like the one I call my sister and Bestie. Not to say that I'm Oprah...but she is my Gayle. She is one of very few people in this world that I can be totally honest with, and not be judged. We share secrets and confidences. We are always there to love and support one another through good times and not so good times. We can say anything to each other...feelings are never hurt. She makes me look at my life with honesty and integrity. She tells me the truth and I do the same for her. She is my conscience, my advisor, my life-coarch. I try my best to be the same to her. We are totally different in many ways, and yet we are the same in so many others. She lovingly provides a place for me to hide away from my life periodically. This time, she showed me such love and generosity...I am left standing in awe and gratitude.
Usually about once per month or so, I gladly take the 2 and 1/2 hour drive away from my family to go see her. Although I don't like driving, the trip down there is usually great. I play my music loud. I sing and dance in the car, so happy to be getting a break. The trip back is somehow longer and harder. This time however, my sister/friend sent me a plane ticket! I got to take a 30 minute flight, instead of a nearly 3 hour drive. What a luxury! Well, except for the going through security where I had the pleasure of having my first body scan and pat down. Woo hoo!
There is a new addition in their family. I not only have my lovely niece/godchild to hug, kiss and play with. I also get lots of cuddle time with my new nephew! He is 2 months old. I get to feed him, and change him. I think that is the entire reason I was put on this earth...to love and take care of babies. It's just too bad, they have to grow into teenagers! :-D
Usually about once per month or so, I gladly take the 2 and 1/2 hour drive away from my family to go see her. Although I don't like driving, the trip down there is usually great. I play my music loud. I sing and dance in the car, so happy to be getting a break. The trip back is somehow longer and harder. This time however, my sister/friend sent me a plane ticket! I got to take a 30 minute flight, instead of a nearly 3 hour drive. What a luxury! Well, except for the going through security where I had the pleasure of having my first body scan and pat down. Woo hoo!
This time her tween girls were at home instead of at their Dad's for the weekend. One of the girls graciously gives up her room for me to sleep in. She has a very comfortable king-size bed. They allow me to shut the door and take naps if I want to. My friend's husband is also so gracious to me. You would think he hates to see his wife's gabbing best friend coming through the door...again! Nope...he is great! He knows me well, so he makes sure there is always plenty of wine and champagne in the house. Therefore, the need for naps. This time he even drove to take us shopping!
On Saturday evening the family included me in their annual Christmas tradition of going to see The Nutcracker. As you know, I have boys who have no interest in seeing a ballet. Although, suddenly they had curiosity about it because I was going...without them.
Let me just say...it was a magical evening. I am always so impressed by what dancers can do with their bodies. I don't have the body frame to be a ballerina, but I certainly wish I could spend hours a day working on my body's strength and toning. A girl can dream right?
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| I have known these little girls since they were toddling around! Look at them now! |
The entire family is loving, generous and gracious the entire time I am there. I hate to say it, but it's true. It's such a stark contrast to my life at home. Where everything is tense, argumentative, and I am constantly avoiding land-mines. The respite that they provide for me is invaluable and one of the biggest blessings in my life. I am eternally grateful for their love and friendship. They are my other family...and yes, my husband is jealous!
This weekend that I am writing about happened a couple of weeks ago. I'm already ready to go back! Thank you sister-friend. I love you.
This weekend that I am writing about happened a couple of weeks ago. I'm already ready to go back! Thank you sister-friend. I love you.
Logging you in...
Adelaide Dupont · 285 weeks ago
And for those of us who knew and appreciated these points in high school to a greater or lesser extent - always good to have a refresher and feel them through the current and future generations who we survived to be able to see.
I especially appreciated points 5, 7 and 10.
And young women not settling or settling down yet is a good thing.
"It's never too late to live our dreams" - but it may be too early for some of them!
And 8 of course.
nicole · 243 weeks ago
Risa · 230 weeks ago
LAH · 221 weeks ago
Maira L. Coral · 216 weeks ago
I was looking for information for my Multi-Genre Disability Research Project from my Early Childhood Special Education class on the web, when suddenly I came across your blog. I started reading this out of curiosity and I want to tell you that as you said yourself, you will not be Amanda Gorman, but you managed to make me shed some tears, perhaps because I felt totally identified with your words, especially in the part that you speak of your son. My son also has Asperger's syndrome, he is 19 years old and he is in the second semester of College. Also like yours, he takes classes from home, likewise my eldest daughter is also taking college classes from her room. At the same time, that I work as a preschool teacher from my kitchen through a computer, my husband sleeps in the room during the day because he works at night. Also in the afternoons I myself take virtual school classes. I am a 51-year-old Latin woman who began to learn the English language as adult, so maybe you find some deficiencies in my writing, however, I was very moved by how proud you express yourself about your son. Referent your mother, I liked the humorous tone that you give when your talk about her, so I did not want to miss this opportunity and stopped my assignments for a moment to let you know that your words do make a difference, since they reach the heart of at least those who have opportunity to read you. I want confess you that is the most long I have written to someone I don't know, because your words inspired me, thank you...
Gavin Bollard · 209 weeks ago
Thanks for this post. I've been very distracted of late and so this was how I found out about our friend Kate. Kate's struggles were very real but they were so constant and so wide-ranging that it was difficult for people around her to address them. I think it's going to take a while longer for me to process all this.
I learned so much from Kate because she was always quick to point out the many injustices in the world. In her glory days, she was very much a crusader and she cared for everyone. Over the years, as her situation took its toll, I came to realise that it was the fact that she couldn't be put in a single specific category, that made the system fail her. She needed help that they weren't set up to provide.
She needed more care and she needed to be less alone. I'm so sorry that this has happened.
For a long while we were corresponding almost every day but a couple of months ago, I realised that she had become so stressed that nearly every interaction I had with her was starting to trigger her. I backed away to give her a bit more space. She only had a little time that she could stand to be online and there were too many things that she wanted to do in that time. I thought that by taking a step back, she could reach out to more people who might be geographically closer and able to assist.
Kate was a beautiful soul and she will be sorely missed by all of us.
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Spoil your cat · 121 weeks ago
Many of these living arrangement aren't good, and many of the people who run those places really don't have the residents' best interest at heart. Those places are like old age homes and foster homes, where you sometimes hear horror stories. They're hard to trust. But then there are good ones, of course.
The best thing for an autistic adult is either to go on living at home or working and renting an apartment and living independently, but that isn't always an option.
Duncan · 112 weeks ago