Another day. Autism strong!

Service families are some of the strongest people I know(I do love a man in uniform, it just does it for me).  I try to imagine the life they lead and the life of the soldiers wives and husbands who are left behind.  I can't imagine having a help mate and then the call to duty comes and you are just dropped and left to deal with the whole thing alone.  Yes, I am a single mom but really from the beginning I have done this along so I am use to the struggle.  Yesterday I met a mom who is probably should be the winner takes all.  She has three kids and her husband is a Marine and she has three children, one who is low functioning, non-verbal ASD.  She was handling all three kids like a puppet master and not breaking a sweat.  She got them all to help each other and the LOVE, the LOVE she showed her kids humbled me.  Her situation is worsened by PTSD, her husband has served three tours and will not admit he gets worse every time he gets back (been there with two ex's and bought the t-shirt, horrible doesn't begin to describe each relationship).  The isolation and pain flew off of her like darts.  Her beautiful son is learning to communicate through PECs his personality overflows with happiness.  We sat in the laundromat  each washing comforters speaking as community members and mothers and I realized my life is great.  What am I whining about?  This woman has to go through what I already went through plus with two additional children and she is not crying or even looking stressed she's in the fire and sitting on it like it is a comfy couch.  Sometimes you just need a reminder the world doesn't revolve around you and that no matter what life continues.  One of the most profound thing she said to me is that her son having autism made her have a spine of steel.  Having to deal on a daily basis with the school, the doctors, social workers, therapist and the government and fighting for every service has left her and her husbands problems seem like a walk in the park.  They are trying to work it out, but if not like she said "we will continue to grow as a family, his participation is up to him.  I will not deal with someone who will not seek the help they need".  You can tell she's willing to fight for her marriage but she's at that crossroads where it could end or recover.  My hope is that he will man up and realize what he's going to lose.  What an incredible person.  What a lesson I learned today.

Forget Army strong, Autism Strong!