Let Me Tell You About My Friends-Post by Aimee

I wrote a post the other day about Sensory Issues. Scratch that. I thought I wrote a post about Sensory Issues and that was all it was about. Just a couple hours after I had posted it my phone began ringing and ringing. I was in Costco so I didn’t answer, then I started to get texts all of these were from my friend ‘C’. I finally texted back to ask what was going on and she urged me to request a behaviorist. She saw and read what I could not see. Certain things I had just begun to accept as sensory seeking were in fact behaviors that could be worked on. As soon as she said this I began to get that familiar nervous knot in my stomach. I didn’t want to make phone calls, write emails and ask for help; not because I don’t believe ‘C’ but because I am afraid of rocking the boat. What ‘C’ helped me see is that I am not just asking for fun but because this is help my daughter really needs. I am telling this story because the only way I get through this stuff is with help from my friends.

What I really want to tell you about is the remarkable village of women I belong to. I am surrounded by strong lady warriors. Women from all walks of life who never let me fall. Some are mothers of other special needs children, like ‘C’ and ‘H’. These two have showed me the ropes in so many ways. They have listened to me cry about not knowing how to get help or what to do. We have laughed together at the quirky things our kids do and our families have celebrated together. Because of them I have been able to direct other moms to things that may work for them. Others are mothers of typical boys and girls. While they may not completely understand all our challenges they know my family and accept us as we are. These women sit patiently as Sophie asks them the same question over and over. They smile as she pulls toy after toy from her overfilled pockets. Hell, most of them even let Sophie sniff their hair! Then there are my miraculous sisters! They are not my sisters by blood or marriage we share a much stronger common bond. First on the list is ‘MB’; she is a cross between a fairy godmother and mischievous pixie. Her eyes sparkle when she talks to Sophie. She listens with her whole self and because of this she is one of Sophie’s favorite people. ‘A’ is a super awesome Canadian transplant that Sophie likes to talk Mexican food with. There is a beautiful young woman who talks to Sophie on the phone and was able to come teach her art for a while. I have a friend she calls her beach buddy and on days when we all at the beach together the two of them stand at the water’s edge and stare out at the sea. One of the women is a pretty blonde educational therapist whom Sophie is extremely drawn to. I am not exaggerating at all when I say that there are dozens of friends like this I could write about.  All of the women are so much more than just nice to Sophie. They are my life line. They really want to know how I am feeling when they ask. I can tell all of them that my day stinks or that I feel sad. I can share my joys and gratitude with them. I am thankful every single day for all the above mentioned women and for all the incredible friends I have because the only way I get by is with a little help from my friends.