He's 10! What are you thankful for?

So much to talk about. Where do I begin? First, a quick update on Jay's project: We are at $2,200 in our fundraising drive so far, thanks to every one's participation. Everyday that even a small thing happens towards our goal, I feel more and more encouraged. We will get there!

Jaedon's 10th birthday was really significant for me. It's usually in the week of thanksgiving, and is a constant reminder of all I have to be thankful for. Jaedon is really a gift from God to us. One day, I'll tell the story, but he is no accident!! This birthday, I felt sad and took some time to look at that for myself. I realised that our son-rise program had given me a lot of hope, and I had set a time limit on Jay's recovery. The picture in my mind of him at 10 hadn't yet happened. I had no new pictures and was losing hope. I was choosing to feel despondent, to focus on a future that I don't want, maybe as a way of motivating myself to work harder. It felt horrible.

I keep talking about the importance of a team. Team Jaedon really helped me during this time. I reached out to the team, actually, and they poured in. I went to the Happiness Option Weekend at the Option Institute, and started the process there. More about that later, but if you have never been to the Option Institute, run! don't walk to the next program they have. I definitely recommend HOW. Jaedon got some new people on his team there, just more folks pulling for him and helping all of us believe and hope. One thing that was clear to me after the weekend, I really love and accept my son just as he is! Then, I reached out to some Son-Rise teachers and parents. I had a wonderful conversation with a teacher and got a great tip: What about spending 10 minutes every day thinking about who Jaedon is right now, and allowing myself to experience huge feelings of love and acceptance for him, right in the moment. I should take some time to reinforce my beliefs. That way, when he does things that I may be tempted to worry about, my reinforced beliefs will support me in the moment. The days I have done that have been much better that the others! I really didn't like the feeling of anxiety and panic. Jaedon didn't like it either as I dealt with him!

I had another great conversation with my favorite Son-Rise mom, a friend in CO. She shared similar having similar feelings when her son got to a particular age. It was great to know I was walking on a path that others walked. We affirmed the path as one that leads to growth. I get to examine my beliefs and constantly choose the ones that I really want. I get to challenge my own thinking and shape it the way I would like! Thank you, Jaedon! I'm not sure that I would have engaged all this growth had it not been for you.

So, Jaedon is 10 and I am excited for the future! I'm networking with other son-rise families in the NYC area so that we can work together to get volunteers and fund raise for our programs. If you know anyone with a child on the spectrum in my neck of the woods, I would love to talk with them. If you know anyone who wants to be part of a child's team, talk to me. I'm also trying to get a hyperbaric chamber ($12,000) and to add neural feedback ($7,000 for 6 months) to Jaedon's list of interventions. So, I'm ready to take fundraising to a new level.

Hey, don't let your present situation limit your belief and hope for what you can have in your future.