| World Autism Awareness Day |
Sleepless in solitude
Let you and your loved ones see each another day
My differently-abled
son celebrated his 26th
birthday recently and
I had sleepless nights
deliberating if I should
be with him in the
midst of this draconian
yet necessary
Movement Control Order.
He’s been looking forward to this
special day since his last birthday a year
ago and it would mean everything to him
if his daddy turned up.
Every day would be greeted with
anticipation as he counted down to the
one day that’s super important to him.
Even though the celebratory
programme that included a sushi dinner,
family karaoke and slices of mummy’s
delicious birthday cake would be identical
every year, there were still the mandatory
cake cutting events with his pals at these
incredible support groups which include
Bake With Dignity, Dignity & Services’
Options Respite Centre and GJ Blue
Sapphire that must go on to complete the
special day for him.
His ‘differently-abledness’ made him
a contradiction in terms. He is the most
loving and thoughtful social creature,
yet he’s not really good with crowds or
noisy places that could easily trigger a
chain of events leading to a horrible and
potentially dangerous meltdown.
He is the one that has taught me virtues
of patience, humility and unconditional
love as I have had to do the unthinkable
for any parent and that is to have to call
the Police on my own son (in horrendous
meltdown situations) and yet he teaches
love and forgiveness and is instrumental
in bringing my ex-wife (his mum) and
me closer together as a family to help
co-parent him better.
You see, he lives with his minder, far
and safely away from the maddening
crowds, 40km west from where I’m in self
isolation. I knew I could possibly plead
with the police at the roadblock to let me
through to see him as he’s in the category
that requires assistance, but that’s beside
the point.