Quick Walk
Two years ago, I wrote a post about and almost identical journal entry: Mikey and Mom taking a walk outside of Will’s swim practice.
But each time a similar journal entry comes up, I am drawn to write about a different aspect of my parenting choices. As you can see from my footwear, my walks with Mikey are not truly exercise for me. He is more of a meanderer than a speed-walker. He takes in the world around him and enjoys the journey.
Looking back, I am impressed that I pushed the flip-flop days into October – I guess I was having trouble letting go of the summer that year. LOL
But my overall message remains the same. You don’t have to be a superhero mom to make it through this journey. I took him for a quick walk. He asked to go in and watch Will swim, so we did. Autism moms are just regular moms. We get asked to do a lot more, and we answer with strength, but if you are just starting your journey…know that you don’t need to be heroic every second of every day.
Lots of this journey is just showing up and holding your kiddos hand along the way.
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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