Thankful

It's sort of cliche to write about things I'm thankful for on Thanksgiving but hang tight because it's about to happen! My list includes the typical things such as food, family, church, our home, and health. However, I think one of the things I'm most thankful for this year is hope. When Nolan was first diagnosed with autism we were given a lot of hope from people that we trusted because we didn't know any different. At two years old we were told, "with a little bit of therapy you won't even know he has autism by the time he is 3." At three years old we were told, "I'll have him talking in 6 months." There were so many more pieces of hope that no one could guarantee and never should have been promised.

I wish someone had just been honest and say what I know now to be true: "every child with autism is different but if you give it your best shot and get him all the help you can right now everything will be okay." Everything will be okay because you know you did your best. Tell me that it's going to be hard but it will be worth it. And tell me somedays it will seem like there is no progress but you have to look at the picture because slow process is better than none. I've moved on from the bitterness of the false hope we were given and changed my perspective on things. Autism will do that to you.

I am so thankful for hope this year because it isn't based on something someone has told us. Sure, we get reports from therapists about Nolan's progress and how well he is doing. But this year we have seen so much of that progress with our own eyes that there is no way it can be false. Hope to me is the way Nolan's eyes light up when Hunter or I come in the room. Hope is the way Nolan looks us right in the eye when we call his name. Hope is the communication that is increasing every week and that feeling that we are right on the edge of hearing that sweet boy talk.

This weekend hope showed its beautiful face when I walked in the playroom to see Nolan, his sister Harper, and his cousin Mary Bradlie playing together. I've seen Nolan run around the yard and laugh with his sister a few times and it is precious. But this time was so different. This time Nolan initiated the play, wouldn't let the girls stop, and he continued to play with them for about 30 minutes. Yall! This is the child that two years ago would sit in the corner by himself and be content to play with a car for an hour. He wanted nothing to do with other kids his age. Now here he is HUGGING his sister and cousin then they would all fall down and laugh until they couldn't breathe. . then they would do it again! Of course I cried. . because thats what I do when God tugs at my heart strings.

playing a hugging version of ring around the rosy with his sister and cousin

I'm so thankful for hope this year and I'm thankful that God allows us to see it with our own eyes. It wouldn't be a Thanksgiving blog post if I didn't say how thankful I am for Nolan's village as well. Without each and every person in his village we wouldn't see all the hope we do in Nolan.

-I'm thankful for the people in our lives (family and friends) who go our of their way to help us in anyway they can and make an effort to treat Nolan like everyone else.

-His therapists are amazing and work so hard with him all week. I'm so thankful for our family who jumped right into this autism world and has done their best to do whatever is necessary to help us and Nolan.

-I'm thankful for our parents who babysit so we Hunter and I can have "us time" to regroup and rest so we can be better parents.

-I'm thankful for my mother in law and everyone else who has ever helped get Nolan to Oxford four days a week every week rain or shine.

-I'm thankful for our sitter who keeps Nolan when he isn't in school or therapy. She doesn't just sit and watch him. She plays, interacts, encourages, and loves him like her own. We couldn't ask for better.

-I'm thankful for a husband who puts Nolan's needs before his own and puts all the hard work in to make sure Nolan gets the best.

-I'm thankful for Harper and Nolan's cousins who couldn't care less that he is any different than them and treat him like everyone else.

-Most of all I"m thankful that God brought this sweet boy and his sister into our lives. Autism changed us but there's no doubt in my mind we've all be changed for the better. I'm so thankful for the beauty God has brought out of this diagnosis and the future I know Nolan will have. I'm not naive enough to think it will be easy or problem free, but God has already shown me that no matter how tough it gets for us or Nolan, it will be worth it.