Autism Parenting Magazine Issue 87 (Member's Dashboard) | Page 39

PERSONAL NARRATIVE and to take a picture if she chose. Two hours later he would line up our Subaru behind other parent-chauf- feurs and be teacher-directed back toward the gym to pick her up. The time went by, and I watched the clock, frequently texting my husband to ensure his return was early enough for her to make a prompt exit. I waited and texted and waited. She climbed into the car, and after being questioned, informed her dad she’d had a wonderful time and gave the dance a rating of 10 out of 10. I saw the lights as they pulled into the drive, and I could not wait to hear from her. I choked back tears as she came in and looked at me with a wave of her hand. I asked her, “How was the dance?” “Great,” she said. She repeated her 10 rating from earlier and re- quested to have some technology time. I pumped the brakes on the technology time because as a mom, I needed the details. After six questions and some wait time, I found out that she danced alone and spoke to no one. It was the last statement she made though, that shut me down. “Mom, stop mak- ing me feel bad.” What did she say? “Mom, stop mak- ing me feel bad,” echoed in my brain. The oxygen was sucked from my lungs; I had made her feel bad! Flab- bergasted, I apologized and of course excused her for technology time. As she walked away, hot tears welled up in my eyes. It’s not her peers that make her self-conscious about socializing. It’s me. My expecta- tions are weighing on her. the dance. As I scrolled through the pictures, I saw groups of kids smiling, holding props, and throwing up peace signs. Then I saw it. A girl, donning a bright blue boa and a thousand-watt smile. That was my girl! She was beautiful, confident, social on her own terms, and living up to her own expectations! Rachel Landry Fahrney, MEd, is a special education teacher at the elementary level. She lives and works in northwest Georgia and loves beautiful Lookout Mountain, where she calls home. Rachel and her husband, Jamie, have two daughters, Zuri (11) and Ellonie Scout (6 months). Rachel loves having Zuri read her favorite anime stories to her and dancing to music with her youngest daughter Ellonie Scout. She also enjoys listening to podcasts and frequent- ing the Dollar Spot at Target stores. Facebook: facebook.com/rachel.l.fahrney Instagram: instagram.com/rachelfahrney As a mom, I want my child to have typical social ex- periences. I want her to have meaningful friendships, conflicts she will have to work through, and decisions to make that will force her to use the moral compass her father and I have helped to instill in her. But the WHEN and HOW of these wants and desires are not up to me. I’ve got to learn to let her be her own per- son. Friendship may look different for me than it does for her. There may be elements of friendship that she does not require the way I do because she is differ- ent than me, the same way we all differ from each other. I can’t shackle her to my expectations because it inhibits her from being who she is. And who she is, is amazing! The morning after the dance, I was drinking my cof- fee and thought about pictures. Had she used any of her money for pictures at the dance? Quickly I searched out the middle school’s Facebook page and saw the link to the photographer’s photos from Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 87 | 39