Amazing People In our Lives

On my last blog, I concentrated on some of the negative and positive reactions we have received because of Ashley’s autism. Today, I want to discuss more about the positive things people have done recently. These people certainly deserve the recognition for their efforts, plus it is always better to focus on the positive, instead of the negative. My first story is about 2 of Hailey’s friends. Of course, the girls have known each other most of their lives, and thus have grown up knowing Ashley, because of this, they are not scared or intimidated by autism. The other day these 2 girls spent the night with Hailey. Ashley woke up at 4:00 in the morning. I had a late night before, so I really did not want to be up at 4. I let Ashley out of her room and turned on her music, and then I went back to bed. Every few minutes, she would come in and ask me for something. I would get up and help her, and then go back to bed. It’s not great sleep, but better than nothing. About 7:30, I woke up and realized I had been asleep for about an hour. At first I was surprised Ashley had left me alone that long. Then I heard voices, and realized the girls were taking care of Ashley. Hailey was still asleep, but when her friends got up, they started getting Ashley whatever she wanted. They also helped her put some clothes on (she had taken them off). She kept them busy, but they never complained, and took great care of her. They were so sweet with her, and let me get some much needed rest. I was so impressed with the kindness and generosity they showed Ashley and me. Almost all of Hailey’s friends go above and beyond to help Ashley and be kind to her. I think that says so much about their compassion and maturity. I have no doubt all of these girls are becoming fabulous young women. We also took Ashley skating recently. Going places when I’m not sure how she is going to react is not my favorite thing, especially when she hasn’t been sleeping well and I’m tired. But I was taking Josh, and saw that there weren’t very many people there, and I know she should practice the skills she learns in adaptive P.E., so I went home and got Ashley. The owners didn’t charge us anything for entry or skates, since we didn’t know how she was going to react. They also offered assistance, and asked if she was okay with the lights and music. The other children there were very curious, but kind. She did well. It was such a positive experience for both of us. This past weekend, there was an Autism Walk to raise money for the kids in our community. The amazing thing was the entire event was put on by three of the paras at our schools. These were hourly employees, who already don’t get much respect for the hard work they do. But they chose to go the extra mile and volunteer to sponsor an event to benefit the kids, they have come to know and love through their job. They put a lot of hard work and personal hours into this event, and did a great job. I’m so impressed with all their effort, and very proud to say 2 of those 3 paras work with Ashley. I couldn’t ask for a better team around her. And last, but certainly not least I have to mention our church, and the many friends I have that help us care for Ashley. Ashley is blessed to be surrounded by so many people who love her unconditionally, and truly want what is best for her and the rest of our family. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 Like Created In His Image on Facebook - Originally posted May 2012