Shay and I were chatting late last night. He'd been writing, working on his movie script, and though it was two in the morning his conversation was wide awake! So, sleepy as I was, I decided to be part of and enjoy his creative energy wind-down.
As he started to talk more about his real high school life and less about his imagined one (though both are absolutely relevant, I wrote a movie about it long ago!) I knew our late night idea and experience sharing was coming to a close.
But not before he offered me this delicious dialogue.
"The other day I got a tiny heart uplifting because of a small compliment." Shay was smiling shyly as he spoke. "My friend and I, who are both kind of chubby and both kind of weird and both really good at thinking on our feet, were hanging out between classes when another one of our friends came over to hang with us. As soon as he came up to us I asked if he'd ever noticed how the same my friend and I are. He said 'ya, you're both really cool.' That made me feel good, mom."
At the end of the day, we all like to be accepted.
In the middle of the night, we all like to be accepted too!
By our moms, who are happy to hang out all night and listen to our minds.
By our peers, who say comfortably that in a nutshell--we are cool!
By our teachers, neighbors, employers, and cousins, who slow down to understand our true meaning or take time to help us help ourselves...
Work, play, grow, hold onto some values and rethink others, connect, reflect... and always, at the end of the day, accept!
And when you've forgotten to accept, reflect and accept again! You deserve acceptance from yourself too!
Hugs, smiles, and love!!
Autism Answers with Tsara Shelton
Random Addition: Accepting doesn't mean allowing others to be cruel, hurt, stranded, or abusive. Accepting doesn't even mean you have to adore and be friends with everyone... on the contrary! Accepting is taking the time to help, teach, say no, be clear about boundaries, explain, share, show! Believing in another persons right to discover their own voice, beliefs, and style, without needing it to be the same as--or even compatible with-- your own.
"Acceptance doesn't mean not helping." ~Lynette Louise aka THE BRAIN BROAD
