I am a mother of a child with autism. He is the greatest teacher that I have ever had. Through this I have experienced that a mother can be a powerful force in any child’s life.
I have learned that We do See, We do Care, and We do Serve
I see the lonely mother of an autistic child who can’t go to the birthday party, the park or even the store because the noise and people are too over stimulating and will cause her child to withdraw or have a meltdown to cope with the situation.
I see that same mother who is grieving over the loss of what she thought motherhood should be. Instead of chubby arms wrapped around her neck with little “I love yous” whispered in her ear. She experiences her beautiful child disengaging from the world around him and when that world does touch him he gets frustrated. She grieves for the child that thought she would have and the mother she thought she would be.
I see the fear in this same mother. Fear for her son’s future. Fear that her child might not ever experience acceptance, love or happiness. Fear that she is not enough for her child’s challenges.
I Care…Because I understand, I have been there, experienced that, and felt it.
I serve these mothers because I believe success for a child dealing with autism is determined by what their mother does. I believe all mothers with knowledge can have hope and faith in her child. She can be the driving force to help them become all that they can be.
When I am able to serve I see a child living in a world of NO. No don’t flap your hands. No don’t do that that is not typical. No, you can’t do that. And I see this child’s world change to a world of YES. Yes, you are loved. Yes, I will celebrate you. Yes, YOU CAN!!! And they DO because MOM SAID THEY COULD!
Jill McDonald is the 2018 Idaho Mother of the Year. You can read more about Jill on our BLOG.
