Dustin' Off

My last post was kind of a downer. I started reading the comments and wondered why are these folks trying to console me. I read back over the post. I didn’t mean for it to be a poor me piece. But, I guess it was. Thank you all for caring.

I have to set some stuff straight. Autism is tough. It is tough on parents. It is tougher on Autisitcs. I get impatient. I get frustrated. But my struggle doesn’t even compare to Tiger’s. Autism is tough on him.

Autism is tough but it aint the end of the world. Autism does not equal doom. It doesn’t even have to be bad. It does have to be different.

Some parents with autistic children fall into the doldrums. Their despair is more crippling than the autism. They frequently grasp at straws. They give credence to treatments and diets that are just plain ridiculous. They like to lay blame. They like to blame medications, doctors, or even the environment.

No matter why, Tiger is autistic. That is his struggle. I have prayed that God Almighty would take this cup from him. God said no. So that being the case, I’m going to call His Providence and Grace sufficient to handle the struggle. Tiger is good with that. I’m the one with the problem.

The hard thing about waiting is my own impatience. My weakness gives me the fits. I have asked God Almighty for strength, mettle, patience and perseverance. So far he has been telling me yes. The troubles of my past prepared me for this. The troubles I have now prepare me for my future.

I am not the sharpest tool in the shed. But, I think I might get that way. With every scorch of the torch, with every pound of the hammer, with every stroke of the file God makes me stronger, more tempered, and sharper. I have no doubt that I am being conditioned.

When I was young, I was a fighter. My Sinsei, put me through grueling conditioning. It was more intense than what some other fighters endured. It was why I could take more of a beating. It is why I did not get tired.

So I ask you all to forgive my whimpering. I lost my focus. I quit thinking about the prize. I was engaging in Stinkin’ Thinkin’. I have been thrown. Excuse me while I dust off a bit.

I put the hat back on. I have counted my blessings. I know things will get better. I know things will get better than better. Things will be outstanding.