People & Puzzle Pieces Coming Together: A Quick Follow Up…

…and then I shall move on.

Yesterday on World Autism Awareness Day I posted this. The reactions and responses were overwhelming! That post received 269 views yesterday alone. I was stunned. I AM still stunned. I have never gotten over 75 views on any given day prior to yesterday. The comments and “Likes” that I received on this one post  surpassed the combined amount since I first started this blog over a year ago. Wow!

The experience has left me speechless. Well, almost speechless…I am truly appreciative to all who felt so moved to comment and/or “like” or share my blog. I am also equally appreciative of those who commented that they disagreed with what I had to say!

It hit to the very heart of it:

~informed discussion and debate, the exchanging of information and ideas: GOOD. Everyone has a right to their own feelings, ideas, opinions and they have a right to SHARE these.

~berating and belittling the ideas, feelings and opinions of others: NOT SO MUCH GOOD.

I do my best to pass on and share information on my blog and Facebook page that I feel might be of interest to everyone. If I feel that information and ideas have come from a reliable source and is accurate then I will share it even if I don’t necessarily agree with or follow that line of thought. Occasionally, if there is something I really don’t agree with then I will quietly choose not to pass it on. I will continue to do this.

I hope everyone will feel comfortable SHARING their autism, their thoughts and ideas, information and experiences…it’s all about coming together for our very special kids!

Again, I say  THANK YOU to everyone who follows, contributes, and supports my blog and Facebook page! 

~Karen (aka Chameleon)

Plain and Simple

April is over. Autism Awareness month has passed for another year. This past month has been filled with blue lights and t-shirts, blog posts and discussions. I have been overwhelmed by the support of our family and friends. This means more to me that I can ever express! Knowing those of you who were willing to turn on a blue light or wear a puzzle piece t-shirt, or forward a blog or share my Chameleon Facebook page to spread awareness to those who may not know or understand about Autism Spectrum Disorders means the world. And the tireless efforts of the parent-bloggers out there are incredible! (I refer to the list of some of my favorites listed down the right-hand side of my blog page).

But despite the added awareness, our daily lives have gone on pretty much same as usual.  We have our  ups and downs and our tribe is very well aware every day the impact that autism has on the entire family. And there are many days where part of me wishes we didn’t have to be so damn aware.

It’s tiresome. Exhausting. Many times I just want to be done with it. I don’t want to talk about it, read about it, or blog about it. And then I check my e-mail, my Facebook. I see that friends and family have commented on my page or on this blog, showing support, letting me know they are there for us! Everyday I get new blog post notifications and status updates from some of the most wonderful, inspiring and just plain amazing people…most of them moms, who write with such beauty and HEART, about their children, their lives with Autism. Their stories may not always be pretty or fun or upbeat but they are always beautiful. And all of this helps me to keep going for my son. To keep writing. To keep advocating. To keep learning. Perhaps that is why we haven’t been able to bring ourselves to change out our blue porch light. We must keep going.

I’ve been trying to search for just the right words to express just how huge my feelings of appreciation are for everyone. Two little words, “thank you”, just don’t seem enough. So, I ask each of you, and those of you with children on the Autism Spectrum will most certainly understand this, imagine someone you love so dearly that cannot express themselves or has trouble with even the most basic of tasks. The frustration of it all. And now, imagine that they completed a task or used their words for the first time…how something so plain and simple can feel so HUGE.

With that in mind, I say “thank you”.