THE BEAUTY OF KARMA
In the past, I have shared about our journey with Autism and what our experience was during that first year after our son was diagnosed. What I haven't shared with you is why I had such an internal struggle and how my feelings have changed over time. I want to take the time in this post to honor those emotions and call them what they are: Beautiful Karma.
If you wish to delve into the depths of Eastern religions (particularly Hinduism and Buddhism), Karma is considered "the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences". Many people think of Karma as a negative thing; however, I truly believe that it's as simple as cause and effect. A lesson that needs to be learnt.
About a week ago, I posted the image above on my Instagram feed. I had every intention of making it into a blog post; however, something stopped me. Mostly, I didn't think anyone would be interested. Then, one of my closest friends said,"This makes for a great blog post because it's real". And there it was... Staring me in the face. REAL. IT IS REAL. And I have never seen anyone else talk about it. Well, here it is for all the world to read:
Growing up, I was very impatient. I pursued perfection in insignificant things that didn't matter. I felt uncomfortable with people who were "different". I had very little patience with incompetence. I particularly remember one of my good friends growing up had a little cousin who had severe challenges and I was extremely uncomfortable when he would approach me. Mostly because I couldn't understand him since his speech was very poor. Thinking about it now makes me feel embarrassed.
But the universe has a unique way to teach us lessons. Many moons later, I was sent two little teachers who are the love of my life and the bane of my existence all jumbled together into two perfect little persons: Simon and Lucas. They are the reason I keep my feet planted firmly on the ground.
Lucas (Luigi) is as impatient as I was growing up. He is teaching me to communicate bluntly but kindly, to see life through someone experiencing everything brand new yet possesses the brain of someone far wiser than his years. He is too smart for his age. He also teaches me that we need to push him forward and challenge him yet restrain him in other areas.
Simon (Mario) is intelligent but struggles because of his social and verbal deficiencies. He is teaching me kindness and acceptance of those who face challenges we don't quite understand. He always has a smile even when life presents difficult tasks he struggles with. He has also taught me that learning is not a one-way street and that there isn't just one-way of learning.
Both of them are teaching me patience. They are teaching me to accept delays and to be tolerant of struggles without getting upset. They are teaching me to never give up, work steadily and deliberately. They are teaching me to remain composed while expecting extraordinary results. They have taught me that I can live in grace while being flawed and dysfunctional. My boys allow me to be myself without judgement. I've learned from Simon & Lucas that I am far from perfect but can be unconditionally loved.
This is karma: a lesson you need to learn in time taught by those who you never expect to be your teachers. And I’m loving every lesson learned... ♥
