Two views of a day

View one

We went to New Hampshire to a friend's lake house. Janey cried a good deal of the trip up. Once we were there, five little kids, nieces and nephews of the owner, came over to visit. They were ages 2-8. All of them, including the 2 year old, talked far better than Janey, of course. Janey paid them little attention, although they were very kind to her. We spent much of the day trying to keep Janey from crying fits, fits that confused the kids. I got to see the mother of my old boyfriend, which was great, but Janey, while sitting on her lap, peed all over her. Janey several times tossed items around the yard into the water, making people have to get in and drag them out. During supper, she kept eating food off the other kids' plates. The ride home featured Janey screaming for hours. A long day.

View two

We went to New Hampshire to a friend's lake house. Janey was thrilled to be on the lake. She adored the boat that was there, and spent a long time sitting on it even before she got to go for a boat ride. When she did get the ride, she was happy beyond words... (see picture!) The kids there were all sweet and understanding of Janey. One girl was the same age as her, and treated her like a friend, even saying she wanted Janey to come over soon for a playdate. Janey swam, played outside, ate well and had a blast. We all enjoyed the day a lot.

Well, I choose View Two. But I realize how much my mind edits things. The boys remember far more of View One, especially the screaming in the car. The other people there probably remember View One too. I wonder how the kids see it? They were quite confused by Janey, especially the girl her age. They kept asking "But WHY is she crying? Why doesn't she answer us? Does she do math in school?" They had never met someone with autism before. It was a baptism in fire. But I still will remember View Two most, especially Janey's bliss one the boat. That was me at 7. I lived for time on the ocean in my grandfather's boat. I've always loved the water, for as long as I can remember. So I pick to see that, not the screaming or the lack of toilet training or the non-talking. I pick the part I love.