Sunday, January 18, 2015

Be You - Lasting Memories #225

Good Sunday morning! We are smack dab in the middle of a beautiful 3 day weekend. This is the first time in a long time that the boys actually get Martin Luther King Day off of school. They're usually using it for a snow make-up day, but so far this winter we have been lucky and haven't had a single snow day. At least not yet!

This week's challenge at Lasting Memories is to scrap about a life's lesson. (I apologize in advance - this is going to be a little long.)

Supplies used - Kraft cardstock - Close To My Heart, Patterned Paper - Echo Park - That's My Boy, Alpha stickers - Simple Stories.

I have to be honest - this really was a challenge for me. I struggle with scrapping life lessons. Therefore, I shy away from them. Sure, I have had lots of life lessons. Being the Mom of a special needs child - well I feel like I learn a little something every day. I guess I have a hard time expressing my feelings and then putting it out there for the world to see, but here goes!

This layout is really about a combination of  life lessons. First off I want Shane to know that it's all right to be different. Like the Dr. Seuss quote days - Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Heck, this is a lesson I've had to learn myself. I've always been a people pleaser and it used to be hard to go out in public and see the stares whenever Shane would have a meltdown. Things that we are used to at home, like the noises that he makes, or the bouncing and hand flapping are a surprise to the general public. I get that and it's fine. It just took me a while to get to the point of accepting it and moving on.

Which brings me to my next life lesson. Don't judge a book by it's cover. It's hard to really get to know someone when they have a communication disorder. Shane can communicate, but a lot of what he says is just repeating what he has heard or lines from a movie. Spontaneous speech with him is almost non existent. We can't ask him what he did at school and get a reply. He can get his point across, but to someone that doesn't really know him, it's almost impossible to figure out what he says/means.

I wish, just once, that everybody could see what a great kid that Shane is. He is a typical teenage boy that loves video games, watching movies, playing basketball, and the occasional rough housing - usually with his cousin who is big enough to handle him!

So, the next time you're out shopping and see a kid having a melt down, I hope you don't automatically think "What a spoiled brat!". Yes - 9 times out of 10 it is, but it just might be that one kid that's having sensory overload!

I am also entering this layout in Use Your Stuff's challenge #168 - to use buttons on your project. I still had my button box out on my desk from last week's layout, and thought I'd use a few more on this one!


Be sure to stop by Lasting Memories and see what the rest of design team has done with the challenge, and I hope to see a layout from you, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great week!

9 comments:

  1. Well said Lori! Although we don't live with an Autistic child we have friends who have one that we go on holiday with and spend time with at their home. He is so happy when our youngest daughter is playing with him and I think that our friends are relieved that we don't mind the outbursts! There are some grown people in this world who's behaviour is appalling and they have no excuse - just bad manners! P.S. I LOVE Dr Seuss quotes!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love what you shared!! Shane is so lucky to have you as a mom and it seems you have grown immensely as a person through many life experiences!! I never look at a child as a brat and hate that people do that. I always try to make light of the situation since we have all been there in some capacity (even with a child that is not special needs). Thanks for sharing your feelings. Love getting to know you more!! And such a beautiful layout!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderfully designed page. I love how you picked up on the colors from the papers with the buttons you chose! And I think the journaling and title are awesome!
    Thanks so much for sharing your feelings - I love that you accept and love your son for the person he is and encourage him to seek others who will, too! This is important for everyone to remember, but especially those who have a hard time showing their best side to those they meet. What a blessing that he has a great family to give him a place where he can always be who he is without risking rejection.
    I hope you enjoyed creating this page as much as I enjoyed seeing it and reading your post. I think it's important for you to do things that you enjoy so that you can more easily give Shane what he needs.
    Take care!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful page! And a wise lesson!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely layout :) A wonderful lesson to teach your child (to really teach any child :)
    Your team mate :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lori, I loved how you shared such a wonderful lesson for us all. I know your son is a blessing to all who are lucky enough to really know him, being different can come in all shapes, sizes and forms and sometimes doesn't have a "diagnosis" to put to it. We can all learn to be more caring, emphatic and accepting of others. There is nothing worse then seeing people act uncaring or ugly to someone in public, I can't stand that!!! Thanks for the reminder that we are all God's children and special in our own way!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lori, I loved how you shared such a wonderful lesson for us all. I know your son is a blessing to all who are lucky enough to really know him, being different can come in all shapes, sizes and forms and sometimes doesn't have a "diagnosis" to put to it. We can all learn to be more caring, emphatic and accepting of others. There is nothing worse then seeing people act uncaring or ugly to someone in public, I can't stand that!!! Thanks for the reminder that we are all God's children and special in our own way!

    ReplyDelete