As September is coming to an end, the Mississippi heat is dying down and the trees are slowly changing colors. This is my favorite time of year! It's not too hot to be outside but still warm enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt. This past Sunday after church it was just too nice outside to stay indoors, so the kids and I drove out to my parents' house to visit. They live out in the country about ten minutes away.
As a mom to a child with autism there is something really special about having a place to let your kids run free; especially when family is there to help too! I don't have to worry that Nolan will get in anyone's way or that I'll have to constantly be alert and follow him around everywhere. I don't have to explain that he has autism to anyone or worry about him accidentally breaking something. Best of all, there are always extra hands to help and extra eyes to watch him.
We fed the fish in the pond and the ponies and horses too! Nolan found a big pile of dirt and dust and decided it'd be fun to play in it! He was covered head to toe by the time he was done, but after a quick shower, he was back outside exploring! He and Harper jumped on the trampoline for a while and rode around on the golf carts. There's just something about nice weather, kids playing, family, and animals everywhere!
After a few hours, the kids were slowing down, and my dad, Nolan, and I were sitting on the edge of the trampoline outside. Nolan had his phone playing some silly clip from a show he was giggling to, while Dad and I visited and watched the animals. My parents have an Australian Shepherd named Dixie who was entertaining us. She loves squirrels and had spotted one at the end of the driveway. She crouched down like a tiger and slowly made her way towards it. After a while, she finally took off towards the tree, all while the squirrel ran away, barely escaping. Dixie wasn't giving up that easily, though! She sat at the bottom of the tree and stared at the squirrel, willing it to come down. I didn't think Nolan was even paying attention because he was still constantly rewinding his video to the same clip and laughing hysterically. All of a sudden he pointed at Dixie and said, "Dissy!!" My dad and I just looked at him trying to figure out what he was saying. Then Nolan looked at my dad and said, "Papa! Dissy!" I said, "Daddy I think he's calling Dixie!" Nolan perked up at this and called her again! "Disssyyyy!!!!" So, of course, Dad and I called for Dixie to come back and Nolan was just so tickled when she did!!
If bystanders were to see this, they wouldn't understand what the excitement was all about. Nolan is ten years old and doesn't have any physical features that point to a disability. He has been diagnosed with autism since he was two years old. He didn't speak his first meaningful word until he was almost six years old. Over the years, he has tried to repeat just about anything we told him to. It wasn't until a year ago that he started to say common words independently when he wanted something. But on this day, he wasn't in his own world. He not only noticed that Dixie was gone, but he also called her name on his own and then told his Papa to do the same! I can't describe how amazing that is and how far he has come!
Nolan works so hard and has had many years of therapy and several medical interventions. On the really hard days, when he can't communicate or is too agitated and frustrated to be around anyone, it is hard to have hope. And when we get another diagnosis on top of the long list of ones he already has, it's hard to have hope. One of my favorite verses in the Bible says in Romans 12:12, "Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." We wouldn't be where we are today without God. He gives us courage to keep going, strength on the hard days, and comfort when things feel hopeless. Whatever you are facing today, don't give up! Pray about it, lean on God, and hang in there! The effort is worth it! That sweet moment of hope is around the corner!
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