Are you Happy and Fulfilled ?

Long time since I posted …. So here goes… How are you ? How often have you replied “happy” to that question ? No, seriously, think about it, how often have you said “Happy” in response to that question ? Are you and your loved ones leading Happy and Fulfilled lives ? Hmm.. Curious choice of adjectives, you think ?! Let me elucidate …

Far too often, if you are a parent like me, our lives are spent on the hedonic treadmill, one achievement to the next, one acquisition to the other, one therapy after another, one skills class after another, one volunteering opportunity after another, one milestone after another and we keep on doing this, not just with ourselves but also our loved ones, our children… when do we get to just be, be ourselves, among the company of our peers, just hang out with our peeps and just chill ??!!! Are we truly happy ?

For our neurominority individuals especially so when they are constantly told what to do, when to do, how to sit, stand, speak, spend, live even ?!! Is that something that will make us happy or fulfilled ?Do we really know what makes our loved ones happy or is it our perception of how a happy life ought to be ? How can we decide that for someone else ?

I began to seriously wonder - and then I saw these pics .. look at the smiles, the camaraderie, the sense of community that “being allowed to just be, being appreciated for who you are” brings .. And it warmed my heart …

Here we are, Sometimes too tired to wake up on a weekend to take our kiddos to a social, exhausted from everything we do all week long or too busy trying to prioritize therapy or Class or Our own social and family obligations (really, when it is something that is social why should it be an obligation? but thats another blog post altogether :)) over their time to really socialize, hang together, be part of a community and Belong …Look at these pics, these smiles, smiles that could light up any room, warm the coldest hearts and bring sheer and absolute joy to the saddest hearts … Isn’t this happiness ? Doesn’t this feel fulfilling ? That smile on my baby girl’s face and that dance by her friend, sure is to me!!

So the next time you feel overwhelmed with how

many therapies or skillsgroups you need to take your kiddo to, or how tired you are that its ok not to take them to that game, or playdate or playgroup or

to be with their peeps (people) or that you know whats best for them….give pause and ask yourself .. are they happy ? are they feeling fulfilled ? Because its one thing to Exist … another thing altogether to live !