Now, as many of you know, when having a child with autism who looks at everything and thinks of everything in a very literal way, you just never know what he will say! The other day my son and I were going to the store to pick up something. He had on his summer clothes – a tshirt and some shorts and flip flops. I also had on shorts, a tank, and a jacket. Yes, I usually wear a really light jacket even when the temperatures are warm outside because the stores love to show off their air conditioning systems. Whenever, I step inside the store, I usually begin freezing to death. Ok not literally.
Now add entering a store being completely drenched from a very heavy rain. My son and I were about to enter the store when it started raining so hard. I said, “You want to make a run for it?” He smiled and announced, “Yeah let’s go.” Then he asked, “Are we going to get the umbrella?” I laughed and said, “No, that is part of the fun. Just run fast but make sure we hold hands.” Ready set go! We departed our SUV and as we held hands, we ran through the water puddles that were forming fast. It reminded me of being a carefree kid who thought it was fun to run into every water puddle we found.
So we arrive inside and we basically shake ourselves off like two wet dogs! Yes, more fun! As we began walking around the store to pick up what I came for, my son snuggled up close to me and announced, “Gosh it is freezing in here. Look, Mom, I have GOOSE FLESH!” As I began rubbing his arms, (no this Mom did not want to give up my jacket because I was cold too) I began laughing and asked, “You have what?” He looked back at his arms and repeated it again. “Look at these bumps on my arms. I have goose flesh.” I cherished these few moments as I looked into his sweet face and said, “Son, we call those goose bumps.” As always, he replied, “Oh, ok!” Now, I say cherish these moments because like many families, inside our four walls of our home, there are many days that I sit in tears not understanding why he has had a sudden outburst of anger and words that he shares that hurt our family so much. Autism is hard, bottom line. But, there is joy in the midst.
To top it off, as we drove home, my son sitting next to me in the front seat asked, “Mom can I ask you a question?” I smiled and said, “Ask anything.” He looked toward me and asked, “So Mom does a goose really have bumps?” ………Oh yes, cherish the moments that God reminds you that is good for the soul to laugh!….
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed up spirit dries up the bones”… Proverbs 17:22
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