:: Like so many autistic adults who are diagnosed later in life, my past clicked into focus once I was diagnosed. All of my awkwardness that led to bullying and more—I didn’t realize how much I blamed myself for those things. Why couldn’t I have been stronger? What was wrong with me? I didn’t realize that I never had a chance because I never received support.
:: In 24 hours, the truth was before us, a truth that had probably been there all along. Sometimes things just die.
:: Today, when this fear of death hit me, I realized that I’ve been carrying these thoughts around in the back of my mind for so long that I can’t remember when they started. Perhaps two years of pandemic, of living under a shroud of death, has created this pall.
:: We don’t get many opportunities to seize pure joy. And this was the purest.
:: You can choose to write nothing about your kids, which is a fine choice, or you can write about your kids with utter kindness, respect, and gratitude. And even then, you must be careful.
:: Part of changing the world means that my kids do not have to yield their privacy for other people’s comfort.
Award-winning author, speaker, and expert in mental health and neurodiversity.
