The multiplex beauty of neurodivergence
"Help me... to assure him he is loved. Unconditionally."
This week on Mothering Spirit
Nancy Nyabuti shares the myriad of ways her son’s autism diagnosis has transformed her family.
“The subsequent, almost natural, question is always: did I mourn the absence of a “typical” child? My heart answers with both a yes and a no. The stormy journey, the nights enveloped in earnest prayers, hoping for relief from both his and my anxieties—all of these etch a profound narrative of our challenges. Yet interwoven into this tapestry of trials is the multiplex beauty of neurodivergence: the brilliance of absorbing vast amounts of knowledge juxtaposed against the innocent challenges of mastering simple tasks like tying shoelaces.
It’s not that I wasn’t pained by the unexpected intricacies of our son’s diagnosis. From the moment I held him within my body, there was an innate, maternal solace in recognizing and accepting his uniqueness and creation. My deeper sorrow stemmed not from his neurodivergence, but from the gnawing realization that the world might not perceive and cherish his distinct beauty as instinctively as I had.”
Read the rest here: Embracing the Spectrum: A Journey of Love and Neurodivergence.
Maureen McLaughlin’s prayer beautifully captures the ebbs and flows of mothering a neurodiverse child:
“Help me when the storm rages,
the waves are relentless and crash over me,
and I feel like I am drowning.
Help me when all I want is to do is run away and hide.
Help me be the calm he seeks,
to soothe his dysregulated state and protect him,
to assure him he is loved. Unconditionally.”
Read the whole prayer here: A Prayer for Autism.
Still looking to jumpstart your Lent? We rounded up favorite prayers, essays, and Scripture for your reflection. Check out this week’s post on Easy Ways to Pray in Lent—including a prayer for the Lentiest of Lents (maybe you can relate?) and ideas for sharing the season with your kids.
From the archives
A few more essays and prayers from past editions of Mothering Spirit:
Revisit Jenni Ho-Huan’s essay Love That Overcomes Darkness about raising a son with ADHD.
Read an excerpt from Hilary Yancey’s book Forgiving God: A Story of Faith.
Let this gorgeous poem of breath prayers by Miller Voigt accompany you throughout your week.
Want to write for us?
We’re looking for short prayers on the following topics related to upcoming essays. Ideally we’d love to publish several prayers on each theme, to give readers a variety of perspectives on the following themes:
Miscarriage or pregnancy after loss - due 2/29
Traumatic birth - due 3/6
Caregiving, especially in the “sandwich generation” caring for both young & old - due 3/16
Original prayers are accepted (previously published on your social media, blog, or other personal site are fine). We’ll give you full credit and copyright, and tag you on our social media when we publish. You can respond here with your prayer(s) or email them to newsletter@motheringspirit.com.
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