If we were having coffee, I would be savoring the warmth of the beverage. I ran errands this morning wearing a light spring jacket over a t-shirt not realizing that winter was lingering. It’s snowing outside right now.
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I dressed Philip in a red t-shirt today. My t-shirt was gray. If I’d known how cold it would be, I would have worn a red sweater.
If we were having coffee, you might wonder why I’m fixated on red today. April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. As the mother of an autistic child, I’m all for giving:
a voice to the millions of individuals worldwide who are undiagnosed, misunderstood and looking for help. Please join us in our effort to inspire compassion, empowerment and hope.
Unfortunately, I’m not for organizations that take this opportunity to create fear, raise money to research a cure rather than fund services, and marginalize the very people that they claim to help.
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I don’t “light it up blue” for autism. Blue is the color of a massive organization that wants you to pity my son. Blue is the color of normalcy, not neurodiversity. I’m going #RedInstead.
If we were having coffee, I’d explain that awareness is only good if the efforts aren’t demeaning. I don’t want you to be aware of the supposed “tragedy” of autism. I want you to accept my son, differences and all.
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I am not the best spokesperson for any of this but I support this movement. I’d give these links to learn more:
International Autism Acceptance Decade
If we were having coffee, I’d stop talking now, before my coffee gets cold. After all, it’s snowing outside.
Featured image source: The Bullshit Fairy
that cynking feeling 
Crazy Ohio weather.
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Your son, and the adventures you share with him, and then with us are beautiful! Thank you for your vision on life. I am glad I lingered to hear the message, even if there was no coffee.
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3% on family services? Wow that’s really bad. Thanks for sharing those links. My brothers two beautiful, lovely sons have autism I’ll have to show him.
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We have so many days those that are important are lost in the sea of all the days for each cause. I like your color red.
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I remember when I was a little girl, my mother would always buy a beautiful easter dress with white shoes to wear to church. It would always snow and there I would be, in my summer dress freezing.
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I know what you mean. All “Easter” dresses were designed for beautiful, late spring days even though Easter can happen as early as March.
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Reblogged this on AmericanBadassAdvocates.org.
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