Worms

We were driving to the aquarium in Mystic on Saturday morning, and I had that apprehensive feeling I always have when we're doing something a bit different and I don't know how Ethan's going to react. Would the aquarium be a minor nightmare, as the science museum had been the week before? (Note: Ethan just has no interest in museums, unless there are hands-on exhibits, lots of light and sound, and many buttons). Or would the aquarium be more successful due to his familiarity with the ocean game on the Wii, and my recently introducing him to "Finding Nemo?"

These were the types of things I sat there pondering, while we barrelled down Route 9, listening to the inane kid's station on XM radio. I say inane because literally, the guest host had her son (Ethan's age) on, and he kept whining and crying and talking about poop.

This song came on by some children's group named Dog on Fleas and they were singing about worms. They were singing, in fact, about worms being happy they were worms, and acknowledging there are a lot of animals out there that could probably do more fascinating things, but they, they were worms and they were still special. They made dirt, after all. And that definitely counted for something.

The chorus leaped out at me:

You really gotta love you who you are
You really gotta love where you are
You really gotta love who put you there
Even the most ugly bug needs to know you care

Love who you are. Love where you are. Love who put you there. Is that not what life is truly about?

The next part went:

We've all got our place in this beautiful world,
if you're a crawling ant or a flying squirrel
You might wish you could fly but don't try
You'll end up on the ground and you might die
Just be happy with who you are
Appreciate others and remember

I sat there and listened and breathed in the moment of being with the members of my little, unpredictable, not-so-typical family and our journey with ASD. In that fleeting moment I could see how it feels to just accept what is as is...and still find joy, still live without the ever-present damper on everything; still experience peace.

Just be happy with who you are.
Appreciate others.
And remember...