Autism Night Before Christmas by Cindy Waeltermann Twas the Night Before Christmas And all through the house The creatures were stirring Yes, even the mouse We tried melatonin And gave a hot bath But the holiday jitters They always distract The children were finally All nestled in bed When nightmares of terror Ran through my OWN head Did I get the right gift The right color And style Would there be a tantrum Or even, maybe, a smile? Our relatives come But they don't understand The pleasure he gets Just from flapping his hands. "He needs discipline," they say "Just a well-needed smack, You must learn to parent..." And on goes the attack We smile and nod Because we know deep inside The argument is moot Let them all take a side We know what it's like To live with the spectrum The struggles and triumphs Achievements, regressions. .. But what they don't know And what they don't see Is the joy that we feel Over simplicity He said "hello" He ate something green! He told his first lie! He did not cause a scene! He peed on the potty Who cares if he's ten, He stopped saying the same thing Again and again! Others don't realize Just how we can cope How we bravely hang on At the end of our rope But what they don't see Is the joy we can't hide When our children with autism Make the tiniest stride We may look at others Without the problems we face With jealousy, hatred Or even distaste, But what they don't know Nor sometimes do we Is that children with autism Bring simplicity. We don't get excited Over expensive things We jump for joy With the progress work brings Children with autism Try hard every day That they make us proud More than words can say. They work even harder Than you or I To achieve something small To reach a star in the sky So to those who don't get it Or can't get a clue Take a walk in my shoes And I'll assure you That even 10 minutes Into the walk You'll look at me With respect, even shock. You will realize What it is I go through And the next time you judge I can assure you That you won't say a thing You'll be quiet and learn, Like the years that I did When the tables were turned...... . Love, Gabby. :0) http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/   "I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin." ~ Jerry Newport