Adults On The Autism Spectrum

Hello, every one! Happy Saturday. Time to rest and recreate, your soul, your spirit, your life. Take time off today to listen to the beautiful, look at the grandeur, taste the delicious, and work with the elements of this life that bring you joy. Fill your cup of joy with the things that matter. Relax those shoulders, look up, close your eyes. Feel that? It's life. And we are better together. What will you do for you today to set your feet on a healthy path?

Mamacita Jane is waiting to hear from you!

@mamacita It is 46 outside. I was going to go for my morning walk at 6:30 but it was raining. I will head out in a few minutes now that there is a break between the storm cells. The last few mornings one of the deer families has been perusing our front yard about the same time that I am heading out or coming back from my walk. Living on a dead end, I cannot come in from another direction, so the doe and I have a "conversation" each time [okay, I talk, she stands there with her twin fawns watching me] about who gets to move first. She doesn't run off but I make no aggressive moves. Today I am cutting the last of fabric for 6 lap robes and will start sewing.
We are better together, and we are all better with your lovely comments!
Ginger

@mamacita I agree with Ginger we are better together . Loved you wisdom this morning.

@lioness , @gingerw, wouldn't it be fun to instantly transport to one another's home base, and go for that walk together....to watch the mother deer and her babies. To sit on the front porch and drink our morning cup of deliciousness in silence. Each one reflecting in her own way the life that has been given us.

We can do this in just this way. How this works is beyond me. But I hold this rectangle of plastic and metal in my hand, looking at words I typed yesterday. They appear today, and somehow, words from other beautiful souls appear, all with names I have grown to love and appreciate. I do have a life outside this small, metal box. Living, breathing people who are related to me either by marriage or birth. Most of my time is devoted to them.

Yet I return here time after time, checking to see how @merpreb is doing. Wondering if @john has posted another one of his funny posts that makes me laugh . Hoping to catch a glimpse of @Colleen, or @lisalucier , or @parus. And many more.

Connection is so important. There are varied ways of being connected. Add to that the many levels or stages of friendship and it almost parallels the multiverses my sci-fi loving husband speaks about. Dimensions, parallel universes, where each of us has a mirror imaged version of ourselves.

Enjoy that person today. Whoever he or she is, whatever part of you needs to express herself/himself, rest in that moment. Do you feel.led to do more self care today? By all means, go for it! Do you feel inclined to visit at the Retirement Home, and share a smile, a song, or gently tell someone you are there for them? Yes! Your efforts there will go far in putting a smile on someone's face. Maybe they haven't had a visitor all week. You can make a difference, today.

Maybe you are the one in the nursing home. You haven't had a visit from family in so long you can't remember even what season it was. Instead of walking down misery road, thinking of all the times you were there for them....and yet they seem to have forgotten all about you....could you, could we remember the small things that give us joy? They are still there. Can we begin to replace those bits of regret and loneliness with small touches of love,and light?

I'm preaching to myself, here. But if any of this resonates with you, welcome. We are in good company. And what a lovely group we are! We are not alone.

And we are better together.

Mamacita Jane

Mostly I have our lurked on this page and smiled because I do not want to be the person who has every problem. But I love you all, and I might even have run across one of you years ago on an old forum called instructables. We had an aspie page where we would talk shortly before I was diagnosed. I will be forever grateful to the people there, I was the token female on that page, and when one passed away, I was so heartbroken, I never returned. I was diagnosed with aspergers in my forties, I am now in my fifties.
Once I had the answers why and learned I was not alone in a sea of strangers, somehow it was easier to see things differently, and have a different understanding of the world than those around me. I damaged my own ears as a child because, well you know why, I was four, I still hear well enough that most people would never know, now I can live with the noises. I can’t do groups of people, my perfect number is three people. I can be in a crowded place but still be within my own little group of three, that is a learned skill for me. My feelings and tolerances have changed quite a bit, since I found some commonality and an some explanation. This has also been facilitated by being basically unemployed outside the home, which means less masking more choosing. I even learned to be silly and have a little fun with those I feel comfortable with. I still mask a lot with many but I surround myself with animals and people I trust, who understand who I am.
My husband of almost 23 years is amazing and has always loved me no matter what I became laser focused on learning. I have multiple degrees because I couldn’t move on until I learned every bit of information I could on a topic that piqued my interest. My husband and I both have or have had cancer and all of the long term issues that go with it. Yes, I find it sad, but I also find it fascinating which some think is morbid, but information is the best weapon so that is ok with us.
Thank you for being here, I am remembering the woman who hesitantly reached out on a forum and was infused with information and acceptance, and believing that this is a place like that. We are better together.

@auntieoakley I have read your responses in other conversations, and have always been impressed with your passion for information, and sharing it to help others! We blessed to have you and others like you, who care, as part of this cyber-table 'round which we chat.
Raising a cuppa hot tea in your direction on this chilly afternoon,
Ginger

@auntieoakley , thank you for blessing us with your presence. Your words are so encouraging. I was misdiagnosed most of my life. I am now 67. It is almost as if I am re-living my entire life.

There will always be a place at our table for you. We are indeed better together. Thanks to everyone who has shared their heart and soul to help make this a safe place to be. You know who you are.

Until next time.

Mamacita Jane

@mamacita Yes, connection is important and vital on many levels. I can always come here and benefit in some way. I do self talk daily and try to keep it positive, encouraging, kind and grateful.
My daily duties require psyching myself up. Endeavoring to be my own best friend rather than my own worst enemy.

Good morning,@parus. I relate to what you said about psyching yourself up. And talking to yourself so that you can be your own best friend.

We have to live in this body, and our thoughts and memories make us unique. Dr. Glenn on Facebook this morning shared what he believes about recovery. He says that recovery is not perfect and does not look the same for everyone.

Whatever we do consistently that is helpful to our positive growth is of benefit. It may be a compilation of many different things. What is important is that we use it and commit to it.

Another reason why I believe in Mayo Clinic Connect. We share what works for us.

Love and light to you,

Mamacita

Happy Monday, loves. As people on the Spectrum we are positioned to do a lot of good for humankind.

Our unique perspectives give us the ability to look at old problems with fresh eyes.

Our world needs this right now.

Autistic children are abused in the classrooms and told that there just isn't enough funding to meet their needs.

Families of Autistic children in my county are told they must be bussed to my city for appropriate services. One superintendent has stated plainly he will never have special education students at any of the schools in his district. He doesn't want school test scores being lowered by the inclusion of students who have need for special support.

God help this man. May he never find himself in a car crash that renders him disabled in any way. It only takes a few seconds in a life to turn from being a perfectly healthy person to one who is dependent on medication, braces, and a Rollator to get around. And to be on medication that carries great risk, often muddling the senses and destroying brain cells.

God forbid that he have a grandchild who will never succeed in life if his needs are not addressed now. Lord help the man to never experience the extreme level of anxiety that exists when one hears too much, sees too much, feels too much, and everything is just...too....much.

Yes. Lord help this man. And Lord help us. Help us to be that one voice. It doesn't take a whole lot to just be kind.

It doesn't take a whole lot to just smile. Or to read a comment and click "like" on social media.

I just love you guys. Sending you lots of love and virtual hugs your way.

Mamacita Jane