OK - So its been quite some time since I've blogged. You know when you sit down to write something and realize that you don't really have anything intelligent to say. That's been me the last four times I've sat down to write something. Well today I'm feeling encouraged so I thought I jot down a few things and then people can quit thinking "When is she going to write something to get rid of this vegetable post :)"
So....I went on the women's retreat with my church in September. I went alone and I went hoping to meet a few ladies whom I could connect with and start to develop some stronger friendships. I started my first night with an evening on the toilet - don't ask - and ended up in a room with women who like to rise at 5:30am. I don't even know what 5:30am looks like on a clock and after going to bed after midnight, was not feeling particularly excited about my day.
However, the room next door had someone staying in it that I at least recognized - somewho whom I had spoken to before and I knew was my age. I decided that looking like you are 20 makes it difficult to build friendship with women in their 30's - I wouldn't be too excited to hang out with someone in college at this stage of life. Anyway, I asked her if she wanted a ride up to breakfast and she introduced me to her friend. We all rode together and since they had no other roommates and liked to sleep in I joined their room that evening. All this to say that God has given me to two new wonderful friends who are experiencing different, but equally difficult situations in their lives.
One of them adopted 3 foster children - and the youngest is at 3 1/2 exhibiting austicic symptoms. She rode home with me since I had driven alone and I talked about our beginnings with Andrew and our fight against his autism. She sat stunned as many of the things I experienced with Andrew she was currently experiencing with her son. We met last week and she helped me cook all of Andrew's GFCF food - and then decided she would try it to.
It was only 4 days before he was showing drastic changes. No longer looking or acting "drunk", his eyes were clear instead of like he was in a fog, he started to going to bed instead of destroying his room for two hours everynight. He could sit on her lap and relax instead of fighting and being out of control. The list went on....they even went to a family event and the relatives wanted to know what was different about him.
I often wonder, "Why God, why us, why Andrew, why Autism?" But I know that there are mothers and fathers out there who are grasping for something to help, and apparently my struggle and my fight has prepared me to help some of those parents. To help some of those kids return from their food induced trances and tirates, to help them be able to rest again, to look into the face of their mother again, to start on a path of learning and growing like their peers.
I don't like that I have this struggle, but I do feel blessed to be able ease some of the struggles of those around me.
