The only consistent thing about life is that it always changes. Nine months ago, I posted an update about how well my son has been going to school. Now, it feels like we're right back to preschool. Regressions are a hallmark of autism. Anything can bring them on. A growth spurt, a physical ailment, a … Continue reading Check In
Such a Good Dad
Today I want to share a story from six years ago. Life was pretty chaotic back then. We had an infant, a hyperactive 3-year-old with a shiny new autism diagnosis, and my husband was in school on top of working full-time. I had given up my job to become a full-time mom/therapist/administrator/advocate/taxi driver for the … Continue reading Such a Good Dad
Suicide Education for Christians
Content Warning: Depression & Suicide If you know me personally, you know that I have struggled with mental health issues for decades. I don't keep that a secret. In fact, I announce it, I slip it into conversations, and I'd scream it from rooftops if I weren't so afraid of heights. I believe with all … Continue reading Suicide Education for Christians
Finish Strong
It's hard not to laugh maniacally at the mental image of myself dressed in spandex, crossing a metaphorical finish line with arms raised, and a crowd of people cheering me on.
Autism: What’s in a Name?
Understanding person-first language and identity-first language.
(Don’t) Repress It
I wish I could prevent everyone in the whole world from experiencing what I experience.
I Did Nothing Today
Sometimes I remember life before marriage. Before kids. Before. Before: when I was out in the world doing things that count. Sometimes I miss being a person who counts."
On Willful Ignorance (Part 3 of 3)
Right doesn't know, and doesn't want to hear it. Right loves predictability and uniformity above all. Right likes having all the answers. Right will shame people and break them down until they fit into the box of knowledge and know-how they already have.
On Willful Ignorance (Part 2 of 3)
It is not okay to bully someone for having a different experience than your own. It is not okay to loudly declare that something does not exist simply because you have never personally encountered it. It is not okay to tell someone they are wrong because their life is not a carbon-copy of your own.
What If?
I live my life here; between falling into a trembling ball wracked by despair, and soaring with the potential and hope of what is yet to come.
Ashley Lilley 