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Hello! Greetings from the beautiful midwest on this, the 47th anniversary of my birth. I was chatting with someone on Facebook who sent me a message saying he had enjoyed my old blog, Soapbox Mom, and he wondered if I had another. Well, I have thought about blogging again many times over the past couple of years, and what better time than the present to begin anew?


Soapbox Mom was a harsh blog in many ways. I had a lot of anger back then, and projected it onto the biomed parents I came across in my forum wanderings. For those who knew me well in those days, they knew WHY I was so angry. Really, it was frustration with my own world and relationships. They were a handy target. I still feel that some of the treatments that people attempt on their autistic youngsters are ridiculous and sometimes dangerous, don't get me wrong. But I have mellowed substantially over time.


Time passes, and if we are lucky, so do relationships and situations that cause us pain and stress. My marriage disintegrated, not due to the the challenges of an autistic child, but because of alcoholism. Suffice it to say that my husband and I are incompatible. Since our separation, we have both found more happiness in our respective lives, and hopefully, he will continue on building the relationship with our son that we both cherish.


About that son. He has grown and matured since then in ways I had never imagined. He is now 7, in a mainstream first grade class. He excels in writing, drawing and math, though he doesn't care much for reading. There have been invitations to birthday parties this year, and he wants to skip ahead to high school because, he says, "All the ladies are going to LOVE ME!" Too true. He is a beautiful, creative, and sweet boy who constantly surprises us with his budding sense of humor and keen observations.


I still wonder, and yes, worry about his future. I think this is natural, and I try to not fixate on the negative. He has so very many strengths to offset his weaknesses. He is friendly almost to a fault, asking fellow diners in restaurants their names and what they are going to order. He adores infants and will make a beeline for any baby he sees in a store or in the neighborhood, cooing and being generally adorable. When I try to discourage being this way, he counters with. "But mom, I am just being friendly!" And you know, he is right. What kind of world are we living in where people are discouraged from being friendly and neighborly? It's really a sad state of affairs if you think about it much....


Autism is part of my world and my daily life. We make accommodations for this sweet little kid. On the other hand, we expect great things from him as he grows. I am a firm believer that children will fulfill your expectations of them. Expect failure and trouble, that is what you will get. Expect success and greatness, and you will not be disappointed.


One last thing. The name of the blog, Mothership Captain. My house is called the Mothership by the entire neighborhood and our friends. Since I am the MOM here, I get to be the captain. :D You all get to be boatswains, if you like.