Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Autism and the Holidays

So on youtube there's a commercial done by a family and target for the holiday season. I'll admit it I need back ground noise while I work and love listening and watching Lucky Penny Shop. Anyway the commercial is about a family making their Christmas wish list. You can see the kids and dad throwing things in the buggy that will make them happy for the Christmas season. I saw this and thought do I really want my child to grow greed in her heart to think the only thing that will make her happy is piling a bunch of toys into a buggy? How can I teach her about what truly makes one happy during the Christmas season? And it hit me. I can have my daughter go to the store and have a wish list too. To fulfill one child's wish this holiday year. For her to pick out what she would like for another child to have that might not have a Christmas. Let's face it, in the news I'm still hearing about people loosing their jobs and nothing would peeve me off more then seeing someone who can get tons of toys when I wouldn't even be able to barely put food on the table or make sure the light bill was paid.

Yeah I'll admit it, we are kind of in that boat. It's been a rough year for us. She doesn't see it. I make sure that she thinks she's having an adventure. And all the while strengthening our mother daughter bond. And hey life is an adventure and you get out of it what you make it. There will be hard times and hard times are only just a drop in the bucket. A time you will barely remember and keep close to your heart to help someone else that has found themselves in the same boat that you have found yourself in.

I don't get my doodle opp a lot for Christmas. Enough to put under the tree and fill her stocking with gifts from loved ones passed so that she can get a sort of memory from the ones that have passed on and keep their love for others alive. Starting last year which was the first of the rough year I still made sure that she had gifts to open. Last year she got the same thing she basically gets this year. Art supplies. I've forgone the Chipmunk coloring book because well I just couldn't find it this year, but she still gets the art pads, the special markers (yeah they are under $5.00 but it works well for her artwork). Along with a few other items that are for creating art.

Her special talent with Autism is art and she's always shown such promise as an artist since she was itty bitty. From the moment that she was able to stand with the help of furniture was about the time that I allowed her to have crayons and paper under proper supervision. No one wants a baby choking or chewing on a crayon. And paper should be considered a sometime food. I'm kidding but in all honesty kids eat paper, there's no avoiding that one no matter how hard you try.

This year like every year she has what she needs under the tree. And the best part of this holiday season is that she will be starting her first steps for learning to give. Let her heart not be filled with greed but to be filled with always wanting to help others.

We have to teach our children the love of Jesus. To learn to share love and that giving to someone else is more important then always taking. These are loving children we just need to teach them a little more of giving, caring and being there for one another. This is my way of teaching about standing up for someone if they are bullied. To do what is right and not go with the crowd of making someone feel lower then low. Just because we are all different doesn't mean that we should feel less of who we are by other peoples standard's. Because as it says in the Bible, we were fearfully and wonderfully made. Like I've mentioned in a previous post I'm a Jesus Freak. You get used to it the longer you stick around me.

So let the holiday hoop-la begin with a special gift before she turns 9 by learning that giving is far better than receiving. Because what you get in return is far better than the emptiness of a gift you wanted so badly and throw on the floor to not think about the day after Christmas and beyond.

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