Are the summer bugs insane this year by you? In the beginning of the summer they were all over me. I hate mosquitos and the itchies they bring. There are these weird, angry bugs that kind of attack us as we walk from our front door to the car. I have been trying to keep a hand free as my swatting weapon whenever we make that trek.
Recently, my little girl and I were walking out to our car and sure enough, I was swatting them away from her head with both my hands. But, here’s the thing: she just kept on walking to the car. Didn’t even notice that I was basically flailing around behind her fighting off these insects as she prances around completely oblivious to what I’m doing behind her.
As soon as we reached the refuge of the car, I stopped for a moment and it hit me: what a perfect metaphor for our journey. She is a happy kid, floating along and making her way, while I’m behind the scenes flailing about trying to protect her, make the world a bit easier for her to navigate and escape unscathed, and she largely has no idea just what I’m doing back here!
Dani Gillman is Cofounder and Head of Marketing at Birdhouse– a Detroit-based startup empowering parents raising children with special needs to learn more about their children through a behavior journaling app for iPhone, Android and the web. She’s also mom to a 10 year old daughter (who happens to have Autism) and a 1 year old son (who has yet to appreciate the value of naps).