Thanksgiving Blessings

This is the time of year that we all take a moment to think about and give thanks for the blessings in our lives.  I have so much to be thankful for that it would be impossible to list everything.  The thing that I am most thankful for is my family, my husband and kids, and my extended family.

I have thought about this several times.  If I had the chance to make Austin a "normal" child would I?  The answer to that is yes of coarse I would.  But when I think about this it does make me sad.  If Austin didn't have autism he wouldn't be the person he is and I would miss that person terribly. 
I see in Austin what mankind was meant to be.  Thats alot to put on Austin and yet I cant help but see him this way.  Austin is kind to everyone.  Austin doesn't see race, religion, or politics.  If you asked him what color someone was he would look at you with a blank stare.  And forget asking him about religion.  He only knows what love is.  Austin doesn't want anyone to ever be sad.  Even if it is a cartoon character.  When Myrtle is mean to Lilo in 'Lilo and Stitch' Austin will ask 100 times in a five minute period "Why is Myrtle mean?" I will say "I don't know buddy. Because she is." And Austin will say "I know mom. I know."  Two seconds later Austin will say "Why is Myrtle mean mom?" And I will say "Because she is".  And our conversation will continue with the same question and answer until I'm done and either leave or change the subject.

Austin has lived up to and exceeded his potential.  I remember when he was little and in elementary school I wondered if he would be able to learn to read.  He can read at about a second grade level.  I wondered if he would be able to write. And he learned how to print.  I wondered if he would learn his numbers.  He not only learned his numbers he learned how to do simple addition.  I wondered if he would learn to tell time and count money.  OK, those challenges were never conquered but it wasn't for lack of his trying!  On the personal care side he has had to learn to do so many things that the rest of us take for granted.  He has learned to wash his hair by himself.  This took us years of practice because he was afraid of the water being poured on his head.  He will now pour the water on his head himself.  He has learned to brush his teeth himself, even though the dentist tells me I need to monitor this still, but hey the guy has never had a cavity.  Which is more than I can say and I have been brushing by myself for years!

I watched a documentary about a great high school football player, it was titled "The Best That Never Was".  This young man was so blessed athletically and yet he never lived up to the potential he was born with.  And  cant that be said about alot of us, at least about some part of our lives.  We didn't develop a talent we were born with or we didn't learn a skill we attempted for a while.  We didn't try our best in a class or at a job.  We judged someone unfairly.  We were mean to someone else.  These reasons are why I see my own potential  in Austin.  Austin does what we should all aim for.  To be the very best that we can personally be.