What is hope?
This weekend, we went to the early Easter Mass at 8 AM. All of the masses are extremely crowded, so we arrived early to secure seats for our family. We saw our fellow "regulars," as well as those who came to celebrate the holiday.
The Mass was standing room only, even with opening additional seating in the balcony and chapel. I couldn't help but notice that there wasn't one, but two other children with Autism sitting adjacent to us. We were sitting back in the children's area, so I couldn't even see the majority of the church...and I bet there were several more children with Autism inside.
I can pinpoint a child with Autism pretty easily. The first boy, probably 13 or so, was non-verbal, and stimming on a red rope he brought to Mass. He moved to the music and smiled the entire time.
The second child was about 4 years old, and he wandered several times from his seat, cried off and on, and ended up asleep in his mother's lap at the end of the liturgy.
The third child was my own. He walked in covering his ears due to the trumpets and orchestra that added the beautiful music to celebrate Easter. He talked aloud often, asking about his "candy eggs", his breakfast, if he could have stories read to him, and hugged me constantly. He pulled on my dress during the middle of Mass, and then rubbed my arm and told me, "Pretty," with a sweet smile on his face. He said the Our Father holding our hands and walked up to Communion with his arms folded across his chest for a blessing. Aside from the constant need for sensory input and the loud voice, you may not have known that this boy has Autism, too.
I don't often get to listen to the message during the homily- our children are needy during Mass and unfortunately, we often leave with only hearing bits and pieces of the scriptures. However, today I was able to focus when my attention was grabbed with a question by our priest..."What is hope?"
I know I have blogged many times about this before, most recently during our last IVIG treatment. As my ears perked up and I strained to concentrate, the priest said, "Hope is simply choosing to believe." As he continued to draw in examples related to the Easter holiday, my mind filled with this statement.
I do choose to believe.
I believe in Hunter and all of those affected by Autism. Each of the three children sitting near me in Mass was so different, but yet shared one commonality: their mother's protective hand on their back, their arm, hand in hand...not letting them stray too far, and reading and delivering their needs.
I do believe in God- I know there are many, many people in this world who don't, and those who choose to believe in a different type of higher being...but I hope we all believe in something.
We all have hard days, we all experience struggles...
and without hope,
without choosing to believe,
we cannot experience victory; we cannot conquer;
And sadly, sometimes, we give up.
This Easter season, choose to believe.
Choose to never give up.
Choose hope.
"Don't Give Up"- Third Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtSKzHxVqxQ
This time your heart said it's had enough
Sick and tired of everything that's so messed up
You don't wanna move on just playing games
Praying hard somehow that your life will change
When you feel like you don't know what to do
Stuck inside this maze you can't go through
(Chorus)
Don't give up
Help is surely on its way
And don't give up
And the dark is breaking in today
And just keep on moving through these storms
And soon enough you'll find the door
Just don't give up
Oh, and don't give up
These walls around you are caving in
And your life seems like it is wearing thin
And your hope is drowning in despair
It looks like you're not going anywhere
Step inside this heart and then you'll see
Such a love that is so amazing
The Mass was standing room only, even with opening additional seating in the balcony and chapel. I couldn't help but notice that there wasn't one, but two other children with Autism sitting adjacent to us. We were sitting back in the children's area, so I couldn't even see the majority of the church...and I bet there were several more children with Autism inside.
I can pinpoint a child with Autism pretty easily. The first boy, probably 13 or so, was non-verbal, and stimming on a red rope he brought to Mass. He moved to the music and smiled the entire time.
The second child was about 4 years old, and he wandered several times from his seat, cried off and on, and ended up asleep in his mother's lap at the end of the liturgy.
The third child was my own. He walked in covering his ears due to the trumpets and orchestra that added the beautiful music to celebrate Easter. He talked aloud often, asking about his "candy eggs", his breakfast, if he could have stories read to him, and hugged me constantly. He pulled on my dress during the middle of Mass, and then rubbed my arm and told me, "Pretty," with a sweet smile on his face. He said the Our Father holding our hands and walked up to Communion with his arms folded across his chest for a blessing. Aside from the constant need for sensory input and the loud voice, you may not have known that this boy has Autism, too.
I don't often get to listen to the message during the homily- our children are needy during Mass and unfortunately, we often leave with only hearing bits and pieces of the scriptures. However, today I was able to focus when my attention was grabbed with a question by our priest..."What is hope?"
I know I have blogged many times about this before, most recently during our last IVIG treatment. As my ears perked up and I strained to concentrate, the priest said, "Hope is simply choosing to believe." As he continued to draw in examples related to the Easter holiday, my mind filled with this statement.
I do choose to believe.
I believe in Hunter and all of those affected by Autism. Each of the three children sitting near me in Mass was so different, but yet shared one commonality: their mother's protective hand on their back, their arm, hand in hand...not letting them stray too far, and reading and delivering their needs.
I do believe in God- I know there are many, many people in this world who don't, and those who choose to believe in a different type of higher being...but I hope we all believe in something.
We all have hard days, we all experience struggles...
and without hope,
we cannot experience victory; we cannot conquer;
And sadly, sometimes, we give up.
This Easter season, choose to believe.
Choose to never give up.
Choose hope.
"Don't Give Up"- Third Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtSKzHxVqxQ
This time your heart said it's had enough
Sick and tired of everything that's so messed up
You don't wanna move on just playing games
Praying hard somehow that your life will change
When you feel like you don't know what to do
Stuck inside this maze you can't go through
(Chorus)
Don't give up
Help is surely on its way
And don't give up
And the dark is breaking in today
And just keep on moving through these storms
And soon enough you'll find the door
Just don't give up
Oh, and don't give up
These walls around you are caving in
And your life seems like it is wearing thin
And your hope is drowning in despair
It looks like you're not going anywhere
Step inside this heart and then you'll see
Such a love that is so amazing
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