In the Beginning
Dear Mom of a Newly Diagnosed Child, Right now, you may be hearing so much. "You were born for this.", "God doesn't give things to people you can't handle", "I'm so sorry". You may hear "You are so special". "This is a gift". You may get asked "Are you okay?", "What is your child's special gift?". Reality is you may just be hoping that you can make it through the day, the hour, the minute. Reality is you may only be able to just breathe. No matter what you are feeling, no matter where you are in the newness of the diagnosis, no matter how you feel, it's all okay. In 2015, my daughter was diagnosed with autism. While I knew she had autism going into the doctor, the confirmation shattered me. While I kept it together in the office, as we buckled in for the 40-minute drive home, my heart began to hurt. I physically felt ill. I cried. No, I sobbed uncontrollably as every thought about autism an