How are you? Really...how are you?
I've needed some time. I haven't been good. And that's ok.
We all are sometimes and like I said in my last post - things are moving for me and my family. There's a word for this experience - #TRANSITION.
Transition is a word that is used a lot in a special needs household. Managing them. Planning them. Navigating them.
It’s always an area of focus.
In the special needs world, the word transition typically refers to a child’s ability to go from one place or activity to another. So for example, a child who transitions well can go from the gym to the classroom for math without much support, they just fall into line and walk back to class.
A child who struggles with transitions might need a heads up 10 minutes before that they are going to be heading back to the classroom. And then another reminder 5 minutes later.
The dictionary definition of transition is the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.
My life has been in a significant period of transition since the beginning of the year.
Relationship transitions.
Living environment transitions.
Mental emotional transition.
Kid school transitions.
I mean sometimes it really does pour when it starts raining. That has been my lived experience for the last several months.
And in all this, I am learning so much about myself.
And shifting a lot of patterns that aren’t helpful.
And similar to how we support Jack with moving through transition I am learning to give myself time to process and make changes. This is difficult for me because I like to move fast. Do you like moving fast?
I don’t enjoy waiting. Just do the thing…I live by that phrase. And most of the time, that works for me. And right now - it’s too much.
I need time.
Because with all these transitions I am in a place where I need to redefine almost everything in my life. Things I thought would always be there have disappeared. Things I thought I wanted are shifting.
I suppose that’s not so abnormal. I mean I’m 44. Isn’t this like perimenopause and midlife crisis time? 🙂
One thing that is not changing though is how much I believe mindset is absolutely critical. In fact, I believe it even more because I can actually witness in real time how what I feel changes as I adjust my thinking around it. And with time it becomes easier to sustain that more helpful feeling.
I’ve experienced this before as I moved to peace with Jack’s diagnosis but I’m witnessing it now as my relationships shift. Relationship changes are really hard. In fact, for me I’m not sure that anything is more stressful and upsetting - I avoid it at all costs. But these last few weeks I’ve felt myself settle into these changes and because I’ve been relentless in my thinking, my feelings have calmed down.
I’m starting to actually feel some hope and optimism around new things. Which is truly remarkable if you knew where I was coming from - LOL
Now - why am I telling you this?
Because something I have been thinking about lately is how absolutely unfucking real we can be. And I want to encourage you to be real. I want to remind you that you are ok. You’re good.
Dude - you're fucking normal. Even your abnormal and disfunction is ok. Truly.
Whatever you are dealing with. Whatever thoughts are swirling in that head of yours for whatever reason, they make sense.
Our society has moved so far away from real. And it’s way too big a topic to unpack here but I want to remind you that you’re good - no matter what transition you find yourself in.
So you might notice a shift happening within my platform. While my journey with my family's experiences in autism remains close to my heart and for sure an enormous part of my life, I'm expanding the conversation. It's not just about special needs families; it's about all of us navigating life's unpredictable transitions and challenges.
We often find ourselves labeling difficult moments as 'problems' or 'disruptions,' but I'm here to remind you that these experiences, whatever they may be, are not pathologies. They are part of the human experience, and they hold valuable lessons and opportunities for growth. My mission is to empower you to embrace life's twists and turns, recognizing that you are not alone in your journey, and you are inherently resilient. It's about rediscovering the 'normal' within the ups and downs, finding strength in vulnerability, and supporting one another in our shared human experience.
This interesction is mission critical to actually enjoying the experience of life. It’s all good and I want to be here to encourage you and support you. To empower you to know that it's ok.
You're good
Your family is good.
Your kid is good.
The messy crazy insane life you have is good. Regardless if you have a special needs child or not.
HELL - even if you don’t have children at all.
This is what I’m going to be exploring here in the future. We are going to figure this out together by God. And it’s going to be great. 🙂
This transition has been one of the hardest in my life. What I am moving through is powerful and painful.
And it’s good. I’m excited to share it with you.
Cheers,
Jennie
Comments