The start of a new me..

I met an amazing Mother of an autistic 3 and 1/2 year girl yesterday. Her daughter and my daughter have so many similar characteristics, behaviors, and speech patterns...you would think they were twins! Until yesterday, I felt as if I were alone in this world, raising a little girl with autism and facing the challenges that come along with it in the darkness. It is pretty rare to meet someone with an Autistic daughter, as most cases of Autism occur in boys. There has got to be a reason why Annie and her daughter Bella have crossed the path of Christina and I.

Something clicked within me last night while reading this Mother's blog. I now realize that for over a year and a half, I have experienced denial, grief, and depression. On this day, April 12, 2012, I am making a promise to myself to leave the state of grief and to pick myself up. This journey has been the hardest one that I have ever been faced with. I am so incredibly thankful for all of the teachers, therapists, and mothers of Autism that I have met along the way. Each and every one of them has played a valuable role in helping me to cope. This is a new beginning for me and I am putting all of the grieving behind me.