#atchristmas

It’s that time of year again, a time for me to reflect. I am again deep in thought and I turn to my autism diagnosis, which I found out about in January, although it seems a lot longer and my accomplishments this year with the book. The book has catapulted me into a different thinking and I’m okay with that because it needed to happen.

Although I’ve been working on my book for three and a half years, I started putting it together in May of this year. It is an open and honest account of my experiences and life. It explains my journey through all of my experiences in the way they happened and brings understanding into the equation on many of my experiences.

Although my website touches on my experiences, they don’t touch on my ‘life story’ in the way the book does. The book has allowed me to draw on my thoughts, around a disability I didn’t know I had.

Realistically I know I could never have understand my experiences, let alone know understand my life in any great detail without writing the book. It wasn’t a choice I was given. I needed to understand.

I usually take time around Christmas to reflect on my year. It’s been a busy year. Having started work on my manuscript in June 2017, in February this year with the help of my editing agent, I set about putting my memoir together.

But this year hasn’t just been about putting my memoir together, I continue to work hard on my blog, working through and bringing about more understanding on all of my experiences. Although I didn’t know, I’ve had to learn about Asperger’s and autism.

On another note, the festive season is supposed to be the season of giving and forgiving. My own circumstances and how I got to this place are unique. Perhaps where ‘Christmas is the season of goodwill to all men’ it should depend on other people’s behaviour.

Others can choose to behave badly, but at Christmas we’re supposed to be forgiving and giving. I’m not sure how that works comfortably for those of us who are caring and compassionate and yet still have to deal with other people's bad behaviour. Mud sticks when it's continually thrown.

Where there are those who deserve our friendship and loyalty, it is important we give. It is also important for us to separate our thoughts between those who are there for us and those who continually give us a hard time. Not everyone deserves to have our loyalty.

But there are those who do that face hardships and continue to face hardships. Let’s give a thought to those individuals serving in the armed forces, who protect us, and to those who are less fortunate than ourselves, who aren’t able to spend Christmas with their families. People’s circumstances can change in the blink of an eye.

What we take for granted, others are wishing it was something they had. Us rejoicing and having good cheer should be with each other throughout the year, not only at Christmas. 

Too often Christmas reminds us of the things we don’t have, such as a loving family who care, amongst other things.