I feel like most my postings are in frustration and indeed they are. I am frustrated how the system sets you up to fail before even embarking on a journey. We should have a system of support rather than opposition. However that being said I am very thankful for my children, the joy they do bring and the lessons they have taught me.

1. Cherish everything no matter how small.

I feel because Blake doesn’t talk and hasn’t really talked that I embrace something as simplistic as verbal communication a lot more than others. Spoken word is very powerful. It has the ability to uplift yet demolish. This is why I take every opportunity to talk and educate about our journey. I have learnt by changing what could be a negative situation into an education makes me feel better but also hopefully raises more awareness as we go. This is why I speak for Blake at every possible chance to say hey you know what this service is not ok.

2. I have learnt the deepest form of love I could imagine. This goes for both Blake and Ember. I love them equally! It’s bizarre but I really do, it’s some thing incomprehensible and severely intense. I cry when they do, I laugh when they do, the bond between Mother and child is an intense one and even tho I thought I struggled when Blake first came into the world I look back and I could see I loved him, I was just a little shell shocked having a baby etc.

3. It’s ok to tell people your not ok. You do not have to build a wall, embrace your pain, your emotion and feelings and utilise that into something productive. I got bullied as a kid severely and I bottled my feelings, I was always relatively “strong” and I mainly just carried on. However that had a detrimental effect that stays with me now, however I accept that pain, and I’m moving on. I have learnt to unbottle and go do you know what, I am not ok, what can I do, how can I Channel the hurt, the frustration, and so I do by going on my little campaigns for change.

4. Trust your instinct. Now this may seem stupidly simple, but unfortunately we still live in a world of mild acceptance. “Autism is on the rise” “He is just a naughty child” “You feed him too much sugar” some of the comments we have heard, and for a while I did believe it was all make believe and he was normal and “would develop in his own time” however my gut was like no seriously he sees the world different and that’s totally ok!

5. Your journey is individual. Now this for me is the most important. Sometimes we get stacked up with the what ifs, the comparison to others. We sometimes wish we had things we don’t and that makes us sad. However I’ve started letting go to that and embracing our journey. Our journey is one only we will take. There will of course be happy times, sad times, triumphs and challenges, but that’s all the fun!

Hang on in there! Your all doing a wonderful job!