Over the years, chaos has become my calm. Silence has become unsettling; silence usually means that mischief is afoot. This is all thanks to my cousin Kayla.
Kayla was diagnosed with autism when she was two years old, after my aunt and uncle noted that Kayla wasn't developing the way an average two-year-old does. She didn't talk, avoided eye contact, and preferred to spend her time playing with silverware rather than her sisters. Our family was devastated when we got the news that she was autistic, and no one knew exactly what would happen or what our lives would look like in five, ten, fifteen years.
That seems like a lifetime ago. Kayla is now thirteen, with crazy curly hair and a strong affinity for the movie Finding Nemo (I've now seen the movie so many times I could …show more content…
The life of a teenage girl is full of drama, but I try my best to avoid it. Afraid of rocking the boat and making people angry, I usually just keep my thoughts to myself. I love my friends, and I want to be able to connect with them, to show them how much I care. And while it's great to stay above the fray, I don't want to seem like I'm shutting people out. Kayla, on the other hand, is not one to hide her feelings. When she wants something, she tells you, when she's happy, it spreads to everyone around her, and when she's upset, there's no ignoring it. She truly does not care what others think of her. One of her favorite things to do is sing, and she has no inhibitions when it comes to belting out off-key songs with made up lyrics, even in the middle of the grocery store. So why should I be afraid to say what I really think, or try to be anybody other than myself? I'm learning from Kayla. I don't care that my inside voice is a few decibels louder than others or that I wear my tie dyed cat shirt a little more than is socially acceptable. I've learned to love myself despite my quirks and my flaws, so there's no reason others won't as
Kayla was diagnosed with autism when she was two years old, after my aunt and uncle noted that Kayla wasn't developing the way an average two-year-old does. She didn't talk, avoided eye contact, and preferred to spend her time playing with silverware rather than her sisters. Our family was devastated when we got the news that she was autistic, and no one knew exactly what would happen or what our lives would look like in five, ten, fifteen years.
That seems like a lifetime ago. Kayla is now thirteen, with crazy curly hair and a strong affinity for the movie Finding Nemo (I've now seen the movie so many times I could …show more content…
The life of a teenage girl is full of drama, but I try my best to avoid it. Afraid of rocking the boat and making people angry, I usually just keep my thoughts to myself. I love my friends, and I want to be able to connect with them, to show them how much I care. And while it's great to stay above the fray, I don't want to seem like I'm shutting people out. Kayla, on the other hand, is not one to hide her feelings. When she wants something, she tells you, when she's happy, it spreads to everyone around her, and when she's upset, there's no ignoring it. She truly does not care what others think of her. One of her favorite things to do is sing, and she has no inhibitions when it comes to belting out off-key songs with made up lyrics, even in the middle of the grocery store. So why should I be afraid to say what I really think, or try to be anybody other than myself? I'm learning from Kayla. I don't care that my inside voice is a few decibels louder than others or that I wear my tie dyed cat shirt a little more than is socially acceptable. I've learned to love myself despite my quirks and my flaws, so there's no reason others won't as