That I could survive summer

Summer is for adventure
Swimming by day
Warm nights by the campfire
Traveling places
Making memories

At least that's the way it was growing up.

Enter the world of autism.
Summer is for therapy
Therapy in the morning
Therapy in the mid day
Therapy in the afternoon

Enter school years.

I thought that summer from kindergarten to grade one would be, just about the same.
And when there wasn't therapy,
since now we have less funding for over age 6,
we would enjoy summer.

The kinds of summers I had growing up.
I thought I could survive summer.
How hard could it be?

I was wrong.

By September we were barely standing.
And what started in the summer carried on and on
And by winter we were in survival mode.
But by spring things were coming around.
Though I knew summer was coming...

I thought I could survive this time.
I had a new plan and I had money for staff!
Then plans fell apart and so did my life.
Spring turned to summer and school days turned to chaos.
The boy noticed all this and behaviours began.

I reset my goal: Survive Summer
And I made a new plan.
July and August went by
Now September is here.
We didn't survive summer
We enjoyed it!!

hours at beaches
bike rides to the park
swimming in pools
water parks with friends
jumping/falling off the dock at the lake
roasting mash mellows by the campfire
making memories!

So do you want to know,
how did I survive summer?
Well let me tell you,
I really don't know!

But if you want I can ask all the caregivers, tutors, respite providers, my best friends, business partner, dear friends, toy friends, new friends, old friends, friends who have kids on the spectrum, social workers, nutritionist, behaviour consultants and my parents... they might be able to tell you..but perhaps they are the answer why -

WE survived summer.

Thank you everyone :)