(Photo by zhenhao Liu on Unsplash)
Dogs have their priorities right. They eat plenty, nap when they feel like it, and bark if anyone acts fresh with them. Rain or shine, they’re always happy to go for a walk or dig in the mud, with no worries about the next paycheck or loan interest rates. Adorable, fluffy freeloaders in short, and you can’t help but go “aww” when they trot up to you, tails a waggin’.Continue reading“Ridiculous, authentic.”
(Photo by sebastiaan stam on Unsplash)
Did you know the average woman drinks 3 cups of coffee a day? 5 if her children are home on summer break.
Did you know there is nothing sweeter on God’s green earth than waking up, checking your phone in a groggy panic, and realizing that morning is still 4 hours away?
(Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash)
As a reasonably organized person, I enjoy the sweet, sweet joy of crossing out things/tasks accomplished. I’ll often add a couple of frivolous items just for the satisfaction of checking them off the list a few minutes later. And this show of planning makes me feel more like a functioning adult. I’m still not sure if I filed my taxes correctly, but the fridge is stocked, the kids are done with their dentist visits, and I’m caught up on laundry + chores. I’ve also been writing every day, keeping fit, and remembering to floss at night. Hey, at this point, my self-esteem is at an all-time high.Continue reading“Someone’s gotta do it.”
Back in the day, the song went like this:
The wheels of the bus go round and round
round and round, round and round
The wheels of the bus go round and round
All through the town.Continue reading“Round and round.”
(Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash)
In new situations, I often flounder. As articulate as I like to think I am, my default mode is awkward mumbling when put in an unfamiliar or stressful scenario. I need a few minutes of back and forth before I relax enough to speak without sounding like a chump. I imagine it is the same for many adults (if not, I’m jealous, because how?)Continue reading“The chatterbox and the chump.”
Sometimes I don’t need long, flowery prose to describe how strong my boy is. This was a picture of him when he was seven. He’d had surgery on both legs, and a mere three days after, he limped along with those bulky casts. Just so he could ride on a train.
I will do my best to ensure nothing and no one ever tames his fire. This passion, this drive?
This is his autism.
He has always been a cuddle bug. As a baby, he loved to burrow into the crook of my neck, let out a milky sigh, and nod off to dreamland. He will snuggle in bed, on the couch, and latch on like a sloth if you’re on the move.Continue reading“Hold me tight: #thisisAutism”
First came signs, and then speech. Nirav signed his first word (milk) when he was almost two. And spoke that same word nearly 9 months later. “Mikku,” he would babble excitedly.” Mikku.”Continue reading“Words and Worlds: #thisisAutism”
Nirav almost always joins us on family hikes. Up and down the windy California coastline or deep inside massive redwood forests. He enjoys the exercise, the outdoors, and our company. Putting one foot in front of the other while the wind sings in his hair, echoing the cadence of his sister’s voice. There is no pressure to participate, so he ambles long, at peace with everything. Even if he doesn’t say a word, we know he’s watching, listening, and living every part.Continue reading“30 laps- #thisisAutism”
April is a special month in the Raman household. We prank each other silly on April fools’ day, and the rest of the month, we do our bit in talking about Autism acceptance.Continue reading“This is autism.”
