My first post and I have so much to say already. First, let’s tackle the burning question : Why this blog?
Writing this blog was not an easy decision. At 3, when my son, Vedant, was diagnosed with Autism, we struggled a lot to accept this new reality of our life. We, especially I , were happy being in denial . However, once we reached a point where no matter what, we could not turn our head away from the truth , we gave up refusing to see the obvious and accepted the fact that Autism is going to be that huge elephant in the room that we just would have to deal with, and believe me, it was less painful once we turned around. It was less tiring than trying to look away all the time when there were red flags all around.
Once we got over this phase, it was followed by another arduous task of coming out in the open with our family and friends. We were past the stage where “he is catching up” was a plausible explanation for all that Vedant did and things he could not . We had to give it a name, a medical diagnosis , we had to tag our son forever, and we were not ready for that. We knew that the branding will replace all the explanations and apologies that I had been giving everyone but it still took a lot of courage , really a lot, to let everyone know . I’m so happy I did that. It’s like taking a huge load off our chest and that has a lot to do with the wonderful family and group of friends we have. We still have to deal with the occasional whispers and glances when in a social situation but we’ve learnt to ignore as much as possible.
This blog is probably the final step in this journey, where I’m unapologetically announcing that my son is on the Autism Spectrum and I’m really proud of him. it’s another shackle off me and it feels really good. I feel relieved that the last bit of hesitation in owning what my son is ,is gone. This blog is a symbol of my freedom from the shadows of Autism, a channel for me to rediscover and reinvent myself and a reminder of the fact that it’s ok. It’s ok if you are not perfect and it’s ok to be different .It’s ok to put yourself out there and be comfortable with what you feel and believe in.
The road from denial to this blog has been a long one…and whether this blog needed to be, was a question that I struggled with for quite a while. Today , I think ,I’m in a place where I’ve made peace with my son’s diagnosis and I’m ready to share with the world a little bit of my world.
I invite all of you to come ,take a peek. For those touched by Autism and those who missed out on the experience, I hope my blog brings about more sensitivity and understanding for the condition. Please remember to criticize, appreciate ,and share.
Tuli,i t takes alot of courage to accept and share your fear.I really appreciate it.I think your blog will also give me an opportunity to learn & understand special children .Remember always that u are not the only person facing this,but very few face it as beautifully as u did.I would suggest that Ravish’s support in handling the situation ieboth Ved & you should be specially mentioned.waiting for more posts.It was a pleasure going through it.
Hi Tulika,
First, I appreciate you for writing this blog!!!
Knowing your family for few years, I have seen you taking responsibility with lotof courage.
In this world, we not even have a role in our birth and death…
there is nothing to be apologetic about some thing that we are not responsible. One thing that is important, how sooner one can accept and act accordingly, once that is done.. And Continuing … that’s all any family could do.
This blog will certainly help other families who are ready to accept truth but could not because of some unacceptable social behavior. With these kind of interactions, slowly families will learn how to tackle the social issues.
I hope and wish this blog will become a platform for sharing the experiences and add many more happy moments in everyones lives.
Thanks so much for your gracious comment and best wishes !
Thanks so much for the encouragement Mr. Anonymous
Wonderful write-ups, Tulika!
Self-acceptance is a key, and a very very heavy one to lift in first place! Now that you guys have done it with aplomb, it will sure ease up your journey atleast a tiny bit, I’m sure!
With the gift of words that you have got, I hope to see many more posts coming from you; not only on this topic, but on various!
you are really brave .i am proud of you ,my daughter.coming out of this situation so quickly and make compromise
requires much courage which only few persons possess on this earth.Have faith in God.He will certainly take care of your problem for which you are not at all responsible. stay brave.we are always with you.
Tuli, great effort in making people more sensitive to autism. I truly salute your spirit in sharing a personal account with such honesty and transparency. You will give hope and strength to many parents struggling with similar issues. Having taken the first step towards making it public, you’re already a hero and an inspiration to many who live with the guilt of having to deal with a condition that they had to no say in. But awareness can bring about change. I am quite sure your blog will go a long way in educating those who are dealing with it personally and those that need to be made sensitive to it. And I never knew you write so well. Your words are simple, powerful and touch the heart. Keep at it…
As a mother myself in this journey, I totally get each word of yours in this post. We are still in the phase where we are trying to isolate ourselves to protect my son(not sure its him or us). Thanks for sharing your world with us.
Hi, I was where you are now. I totally get you I’m sure, over time you will get the courage to come out and accept your situation.
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Dear Tulika, Ravish and Ved,
Knowing family for so long and being part of family I know you have accepted the challenge. Please do remember God gives tough choice and hard time to the one who he knows have capacity to pass and come out or wants to make us strong in every aspect. I just found your blog and there are too many too read but this is great start! I got connected personally to this one, please do keep sharing your thought process and experience. You will also get solution from this only…
God Bless the family
Great line up. We will be linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
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Truly inspiring…wish you all the very best in your journey.. 🙂
Thanks for your kind words!!