"Thanks for Understanding"

A couple of weeks ago while at Disneyland with my daughter, I stood behind a lovely mom and her son. They looked like any other family at Disneyland - laden with backpacks, sunglasses, tennis shoes, sunscreen, and smiles. However, I noticed the son had a large green circular sticker just under his left shoulder blade on his back. The sticker read as follows::

" I am Autistic.
Thanks for understanding."

This really made an impression on me.

To be quite honest, my immediate reaction was to feel sorry for this poor kid and I thought of a few parents I had met that very day who should have had stickers on them that said something to the effect "I am an impatient a-hole. Thanks for understanding".

As I have mulled it over more and more, I wonder if we should not all be wearing stickers such as this boy's.

Perhaps if we admitted those things that keep us from being in community, those things that are our very own social "hang-ups", then perhaps we could move forward more quickly.

And in thanking one another for undrstanding, we might very well encourage extending grace to one another.

So, welcome to my blog.

My name is Carrie.
I am opinionated.
I am stubborn.
I am sometimes more abrasive than I mean to be.
I am emotional.


Thanks for understanding.