CHOICES

“CHOICES, why did you choose that title?” said the moderator addressing me. I was in the middle of fielding questions after a book presentation I had just completed with another author. My thoughts quickened. I explained that many people thought it wasn’t a good title; too many other books already had that title. “But the word choices kept coming back to me,” I said, “The story is about choices.” The moderator stumbled back into the conversation,

“Yes, but so many people would say you had no choice.” It took a moment to register in my brain, then it hit me. She’s saying this story of challenges often did not present a choice and yet, I titled my memoir CHOICES. “You have to have faith even in the face of adversity,” I said clearly, “You have to believe in possibilities you never imagined.”

The thought of her question stuck in my head long after that presentation ended. No one had posed that question to me before. I realized not only what she was saying, but also that my thought pattern did not go in that direction. In my mind, no matter where I stood, I always had a choice, even if it was to do nothing. The name of our book tour is Choices and the Power of Possibilities. I truly believe this, which is why I could not immediately comprehend the moderator’s question. We are two moms sharing memoirs about raising our son’s who span the autism spectrum. Two moms up against the uncertainty of autism who stayed the course and trusted their instincts even when the outcome was unclear.

I’ll never forget a remark one of my son’s therapists said to me many years ago when talking about how we teach, how we reach kids with autism. She wisely stated, “if we can’t get through the door, we’re going through the window.” It’s a mantra that I use still today. Make choices, believe in the possibilities and watch things unfold that you never imagined.