What is it about rainy days and the way they can inspire creativity, make you want to take a nap, or sometimes even bring you down? Whatever it is, there’s definitely a rainy-day energy here today. Even so, we managed to explore some new ideas in our school portion of the day and start a new nonfiction read aloud while finishing our fiction read aloud (The Wild Robot). But as the day has meandered from afternoon into evening some of our down time has been a bit more down (sad) time for one girl, which matches at least slightly my low energy vibe.
I suppose that sort of synchronicity in our moods was helpful when she was able to wander downstairs and admit she was feeling a wee sad this afternoon. Given my low-key mindset, I invited my teen to watch a few Instagram reels on my phone with me on the couch (even though she had reached her own screen limit for videos earlier). Sometimes, when it’s a shared experience, and conversation and laughter is also involved, it feels less about screen time and more about connection and relationship opportunities.
I appreciate when either of my teens is able to articulate what’s going on in their internal landscape, and I also deeply appreciate that shared moments can speak into their mood, providing at least a bit of support for where they are. Eventually, as the rain let up outside, my girl agreed it would be good to finally get outside; she always gets a burst of creativity and storytelling inspiration when she’s outside and I’m fairly certain that’s what she needed. As I closed out of Instagram, I asked her if she felt less sad, and she admitted she did.
As that teen headed outside, I headed upstairs to check in with her sister. Like us, her vibe was a bit on the mellow side, and she had been wrapped up in some journaling and listening to a favorite band’s early demos. Because we have been discussing her desire to try new foods and add new options into her daily eating routine, yesterday she indicated an interest in trying the tacos my husband and I were planning for tonight’s dinner for ourselves. Here’s the thing about new experiences of any and all kinds for autistics and neurodivergent folks—even if you truly want to try the new thing, there is still a level of anxiety creating a bit of a chasm for us to cross. Thus, I am all about options, options, options, and providing as much flexibility as I am able to make the new experience one that can work for them and their brains.
With a crunchy shell, some taco beef, and a sprinkle of shredded cheese, my girl took a step in a new direction with food and eating today—she ate the whole taco, crunching happily away. Sure, we supplemented that small appetizer-sized portion with a few of her regular dinner foods, but this baby step experience is worthy of celebration. She has lamented her restrictive eating a number of times over the past few weeks and we have been discussing ways to introduce new foods as well as re-introduce former favorite foods back into the rotation. Today, we started that process in earnest, and that, like the shared reel-watching with my younger teen, brings me joy.
Resilience, my friends, is powerful to witness. It doesn’t necessarily look like a superhero doing battle with the movie’s villain and relying on an armory of superpowers. Can it sometimes look like that? Absolutely. But, more often, it looks like coming downstairs and seeking support to withstand sadness that feels like it’s creeped up on you without any warning. And, quite as often, it looks like a willingness to try a new food and enjoying it (it can also look like trying a new food and not liking it and still coming back to try another different food tomorrow or the next day). For today, we are celebrating resilience in our rainy day and Taco Tuesday. And even the one who didn’t try the tacos today thought our Taco Tuesday worth celebrating just because we actually really had tacos on a Tuesday. These young women make me smile with both their resilience and their enthusiasm.