Autism Society: Tuesday

I would feel safe saying that Tuesday was a very emotional day for all of us.  We went to the Autism Society for the first time and surprised Kim with how fast we did her work for us there, as well.  We did basic filing for her assistant, but she was oh so thrilled that we were doing this for her.  Next is when the tears began.  We went to a presentation lead by Kevin Custard, the president of the Autism Society.  It was called Autism Answers.  This was a presentation given to parents and family members of people with Autism as well as professionals and students.  During this presentation, we got to hear the families pains and see how hard it hit them.  Each of us were so shocked and surprised that we all had to take a second to reflect afterward.  This is common for me because I work with children with Autism, so therefore I have to see the parents too, but these are parents I have known for a while.  Seeing parents who were so open about their experiences really shows how strong they are.
Next, we got to help out at the Sprout Film Festival. This was a festival of short films that were either about people with disabilities or made by someone with a disability.  Every film touched my heart.  The one that stood out to me the most was titled "One Question".  35 people with disabilities were asked this one question; "If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?" The vast majority of them said "nothing".  Tears streamed down my face while I watched this seven minute film.  Nothing? Here I am with no disability and every day I openly wish to change some thing.  This made me step back and realize that I need to be more accepting of myself and learn to enjoy life no matter what.