Category: Everything & Nothing

Single Parent Rant

Autism But Life Goes On

Day in and Day out I move to the beat of an internal alarm clock. You see in my life nothing can have a minimized importance as everything is operates like a machine, and if one part isn’t functioning the entire machine will cease to work. From getting up at 6:45am to make sure Christian is ready when the school bus arrives, so that I can in turn start working, so that I can afford to pay bills, pay for cool preteen haircuts and clothing and do all the of the things necessary to run a household. And though this juggling act can be redundant, it can also be full of surprises.

I hate to sound whiny, but almost always the surprises are unpleasant. Surprises like my check engine light coming on when I start my car, or waking up with a body ache(which makes me move slower). However, like…

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Dreams or Delusions

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Life sometimes leaves you questioning reality. You’re told to do good in high school so that you can get into a good college, and then do well in college so that you can get a good job. Next you’re told to embrace the entry level position offered right out of college so that you can build your resume. However, after more than a decade of skill set building and networking and you’re still not where you want to be in life you begin to wonder what went wrong. Have your dreams turned into delusions?

As the parent of a special needs child, I’ve had to modify the route I planned to take to get to my dreams but I didn’t think I would have to forfeit them altogether. The reality is that spending 9 hours a day in an office does not work for me because I have to get my son on and off the school bus 2 hours before most jobs want you to leave. Of course I am always looking for freelance projects and jobs that will allow you to work a portion of the day from, but they are difficult to find.

Am I to assume that the “Good Life” is reserved for people that don’t have special needs children? Hmmm… I didn’t get that memo when I was racking up student loan debt. I did read in the somewhere that “the race does not go to the swift, but to those who endure to the end.” On that note, I’ll continue to try to put together the pieces of this dream that used to be crystal clear as I don’t want them to shatter and be lost forever.

Single Parent Rant

Day in and Day out I move to the beat of an internal alarm clock. You see in my life nothing can have a minimized importance as everything is operates like a machine, and if one part isn’t functioning the entire machine will cease to work. From getting up at 6:45am to make sure Christian is ready when the school bus arrives, so that I can in turn start working, so that I can afford to pay bills, pay for cool preteen haircuts and clothing and do all the of the things necessary to run a household. And though this juggling act can be redundant, it can also be full of surprises.

I hate to sound whiny, but almost always the surprises are unpleasant. Surprises like my check engine light coming on when I start my car, or waking up with a body ache(which makes me move slower). However, like always super mom powers through and things work out. There’s just one thing(sigh)… I get tired sometimes. There’s so many have to do’s in life and very few want to do’s. For example, I WANT to go get a pedicure and not feel guilty about the 2 hours I spend doing it. I also WANT to go get a cup of coffee and not feel guilty about spending $5 on it.

Overall, most of my gripes can be lumped into the category of single parent ranting. With that being said I’ll close by saying that being a parent is the best and most meaningful gift I’ve ever received and that all of my griping will one day be cool stories to share with my grandchildren.

Politics and Autism

“but then it happened… I heard a little piece that was targeted specifically at me.”

The upcoming Presidential Election has once again brought the fierce exchange of insult slinging between the two candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Like many Americans, I’ve been following the Presidential Debates and watched the latest of the two which aired on Sunday, October 9th. There was the typical talk of politics and how each of the candidates felt they could do a better job than the other… but then it happened… I heard a little piece that was targeted specifically at me. Hillary Clinton stated that she has worked to make sure special needs children are give the proper resources in schools to lead meaningful lives. My brain immediately hit the refresh button for my body as I immediately became more attentive and focused on what the two candidates were saying.

Hillary Clinton was right to make note of the efforts that she has made to insure that our children have education equality and are given the same opportunities as other children to become productive members of society. NEWS FLASH everyone, WE MATTER. Every single day we take care of our special needs loved ones and our efforts are not in vain. We are preparing great people to do great things, so it is befitting that a Presidential Candidate boast about what she is doing and plans to do for us because WE MATTER. Please feel free to share your thoughts on this topic; I welcome your comments.

Don’t Just Exist…Actually Live

Hello friends,

I write today as a mom, a sister, an aunt, a daughter, a friend and most of all a person. My plan for today is simple…I plan to live. Yes, actually live and not just exist. I’m going to buy me a pumpkin spice Frappuccino and walk around with my head held high because I matter. I’ve found that existing automatically happens but living takes intentional effort. I challenge you to go out and live on purpose today.

Your Pal

Bernadette