It will be okay

My friend Tanya Savko has written a beautiful and inspirational book, now available as a pdf download, called The Autism Parent's Journey. Although geared toward those parents whose child has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, I would say the book is meaningful for any parent of a child with differences, so I hope that you'll hop on over to Tanya's site and support her.

Here's an excerpt:

Fortify yourself.
When your child has autism, you will have to make difficult decisions and deal with negative emotions on a regular basis. But nothing about this feels regular.
It often feels overwhelming. But I'm going to tell you something that I wish someone had told me years ago. It's not a secret. It's just something I would not have thought of on my own, in my overwhelmed state. 
It will be okay.
And I am not saying this in reference to your child's development. 'It will be okay" doesn't mean your child will learn to talk, or stop having seizures, or stop running in front of cars, or go to college. 'It will be okay' doesn't mean you won't get a divorce. Or become a single parent. I know -- I went through both of those things.
'It will be okay' means that you will get through this.
You will do what needs to be done, you will find support and you will make it.

15,000 Plus!

Gustav Klimt

As of this afternoon, Pacific Coast time,  people have viewed the Extreme Parenting Video Project 15,408 times! How awesome is that? Thank you so much for sharing the video -- for posting it on your blogs and sharing it on Facebook and with your friends and relatives. Thank you, Phil Konya, AGAIN!, for putting the slides together in such a beautiful way. I've received countless emails and comments from viewers all over the world about how much it's affected them, whether they have children with disabilities or not. Last night, my friend Tanya (a gorgeous participant in the video) sent me a copy of an email that she had received from her mother. I cried when I read it, cried for gratitude -- for those who understand what the video means and how all of us who are on this path are in it together, powerful and vital.

I had to watch this twice to try and read all the sayings, and to take in all the details of the photos in the background going on, because I was crying so much!  I kept wiping my eyes and thinking of all these quietly heroic people who have, and are continuing, to work so hard being loving and responsible parents, including you, my dear daughter.  One can feel the connected strength and subsequent power between all of you.  I have learned so much, from you and Nigel. 
This project is uplifting and healing and elevates our human species in the universe.  I hope that you can please let the author, your friend Elizabeth, know by forwarding this comment on to her.  And, now I will watch it a third time.
I love you,
Mom

Life doesn't get much better than that, right?