Autism Mums; a poem.
When it is quiet and I get a moment alone,
I think of my girl, how much she has grown,
How far she has come in a short space of time,
In the darkest of days, she is my sunshine.
The visions I had when she was first diagnosed,
How I feared her to be so different to most,
But none of that mattered; it’s now clear to see,
The biggest thing that had to change was me.
I used to be quiet, not say boo to a goose,
But fighting for my girl set my inner beast loose,
Getting used to the stares and the tuts when we’re out,
Getting used to my girls constant need to shout!
I had to become strong, take on a role,
To be my girls advocate, but her Mum first of all,
To stay focused in the fear of how things may turn out,
I have changed so much, without a doubt.
It hasn’t been easy, at times it’s been rough,
The pressure it puts on the family is tough,
To be strong all the time when you’ve barely slept,
To plaster a smile on your face after you’ve wept.
I look back to the start and see how far we’ve come,
And I am happy to be a special needs mum,
The diagnosis, the stigma, all that I feared,
I now realise all she needs is for me to be is here.