Birthdays Call To Be Grateful

Another year, another day to feel incredibly blessed and grateful. It can be so easy to see the negatives, to see that things don’t go as ‘planned,’ as I’d like, as I wish they could be. But the storm doesn’t come in vain. It comes to teach lessons we may not see right away – in due time instead. It comes so that I may practice patience and love.

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And can I just add, thank you, your  patience with my being absent from this amazing community – for what feels like forever, is appreciated. Thank you!

A quick run down, my son that is in the spectrum / autism is growing up and while I am incredibly blessed to see his growth, it also comes with it’s challenges. My 5 year old daughter was recently diagnosed with Dyslexia, something that didn’t come as a shock, as I had already suspected she had it. If you have someone in your life with Dyslexia, I’d love to know more on it? Please share! And as for myself – well this mama is pushing through! Because He gives us grace to take on what would otherwise break us.

My final thoughts for today: Happy Birthday to this girl! To the one who continues to face challenges but refuses to let them define her, who’s carried SIX little ones when the professionals told her she couldn’t and to the one who refuses to give up!

YOU are AMAZING!

 

Happy Tuesday!

A-

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Reblog Wednesday: Get on your back — A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent.

This reblog is from Bereaved Single Dad – blogger and father to a son. As they say, it’s never  too late, too late to become educated, to learn, to become aware and to shed light on things that matter to you. Him and I share one thing that’s close and dear to our hearts and that is our sons have been labeled many things, which only means they are extra special.

I recently saw the comedian Amy Schumer’s Netflix special, ‘Growing.’ She opens up on her husbands autism diagnosis. She and her husband – a chef, are expecting their first child. It was also evident that in the midst of a diagnosis we can still find laughter and joy.

“Once he was diagnosed, it dawned on me how funny it was, because all of the characteristics that make it clear that he’s on the spectrum are all of the reasons that I fell madly in love with him,” she says in the ‘Growing’ Netflix special. “That’s the truth. He says whatever is on his mind. He keeps it so real. He doesn’t care about social norms or what you expect him to say or do.”

This reminded me of my son – he says as he sees it, he’s now 9 years old, working hard in school and continues his speech therapy. You can read more on my son’s Autism diagnosis here. When I first heard her speak on the topic it was hard not  to feel an overwhelming feeling of hope. The stigma around Autism – as many other diagnosis, is the unknown future. Will he find a special person, a wife, will he have children, a career, etc.? The actress speaking up on her husband’s diagnosis filled me up with both appreciation and hope.

Happy Wednesday.

-Ana

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It’s been a ‘on your back’ sort of day. Not just for the pets. First we played football in the garden. Son wasn’t keen on using his boots so I dug out mine as well. As a I put my boots on I warned son that they would be hard to walk with on the […]

via Get on your back.. — A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent.

Reblog Wednesday: 4 Words Daily: Day 87 — wordsnomad

This weeks ‘Reblog Wednesday’ is from the very talented Ritwik. His writing is nothing short of inspiring and motivational, and his blog is full of his incredible work. Please pay him a visit!

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This quote here by Helen Keller reminds me to be grateful and be present – in the moment. Often times I’m looking at you but I’m not listening to you. There’s so much distraction and chaos that surrounds me that my mind is running far too quickly to stop and as the saying goes, ‘to smell the roses.’ There have been events in my life that could have broken me and taken me to the point of no return, like a separation, a breakup, my son’s autism diagnosis or my own Chiari + Syringomyelia diagnosis. But in the midst of this unknown I’ve seen the beauty that lies within these events. The fact that my son is such a wonderful boy, so beautiful, so sweet or the fact that after my diagnosis, I’m finally learning to slow down. It’s through life’s unprecedented events that I’ve seen my own strength. I’ve also seen the beauty that comes after the storm has passed, like when my two youngest babies were discharged from NICU – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. What a joyous day that was, to have seen them going in so tiny and fragile, and then come out victorious.

The world has too many things to offer that will never fill a void in the heart. There have been too many times when I’ve attempted to do that, given in to the worlds offerings, only to be disappointed. When I’ve finally led with my heart, my heart is full – satisfied and content. As I read the quote below by Helen Keller, I could only remember something I’d heard a while ago ….

The best things is life, aren’t things.

Indeed!

A-

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“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” Helen Keller The words for today are:

via 4 Words Daily: Day 87 — wordsnomad