Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish all of you a happy Thanksgiving. 

I don't know what the holiday is like at your house, but we try to keep it pretty low-key here. As we tend to be somewhat iconoclastic (and what autism family isn't, though Klailklop and I were that way to begin with), we are planning to celebrate the day with a nice hike, weather permitting, followed by a vegetarian dinner. We live far away from all of our relatives, but we always have some dear friends join us to hang out during the day and to have dinner with us. I enjoy cooking, so it is sometimes a task for me not to go overboard. 

We do discuss the things we are thankful for. 

I am eternally thankful to have the privilege of being Singularity's mom. I feel kind of like the Grinch who stole Christmas, at the end of the story; my heart has grown at least three sizes from knowing Singularity. 

I am also thankful for Klailklop. It has been harder in some ways for him to be an autism parent. He has amazed me with his ability to keep trying, and for that I honor him. 

This year I am also keeping my father in my thoughts. He had a serious surgical procedure last week and will be recuperating for several months. The surgery was a success, and I am thankful for that. And for my mom, who is keeping it all together. 

I am also thankful for the non-verbal autistic people who have shared their experiences with the world. Carly Fleischman. Ido Kedar. Naoki Higashida. Thank you for blasting away so many misconceptions about autism. 

Sometimes Singularity is thankful for a thing, such as his Buckyballs. I can't wait to hear what he is thankful for this year.