While I utilize this blog to help support my family, I do that by helping others. Not everyone appreciates what I do here and that’s okay because it’s probably not for them.

The people that I’m doing this for, will largely remain silent because nothing needs to be said. Many times though, people will reach out privately and ask for help or share how reading my blog has helped them. Sometimes they want to share their experience but aren’t comfortable doing it in the comments. Sometimes the comments here can be kinda rough and while it annoys me, it discourages others from speaking up.

This morning I received an email from a parent who’s dealing with what will likely be a two year old, newly diagnosed kiddo. They’re worried, stressed out, overwhelmed, unsure of what to do, and scared.

In many ways, the message was heartbreaking because I understand what they’re going through. In other ways it was inspiring because a parent is reaching out for advice and seeking help because they’re just beginning their journey. It’s not easy to reach out to others, especially when you’re just getting started. It takes courage and strength to ask for help and this person did just that.

I don’t know them outside of the email but I can’t help but feel proud because whole they may not see it yet, they’re already off to a good start.

The last thing that truly amazed me is that with all they’re currently going through, they wanted to make sure I was okay. They wanted to make sure I knew that I was making a difference, especially to them.

If we had more people reaching out to each other like this, think how much better our community would be.

I’m waiting for permission to share this email (minus all personal information) because it perfectly illustrates what so many Autism parents feel like when they’re just starting off. I think that by reading this, they would feel a sense of comfort knowing that others feel the same way.

I really hope to hear back from this person because I have questions and can hopefully provide some answers for some of theirs.

If you’re a new or even veteran Autism Parent, please don’t be afraid to reach out and make connections with others in the community. You’ll come across a few bad apples but for the most part, everyone is here to support each other. Give us a chance and maybe we can become friends and learn from each other’s experiences… ☺