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Featured Contributor Michelle M. Guppy
Welcome ...
by Michelle M. Guppy
My name is Michelle M. Guppy. (The "M" just something that has stuck because in my family - there are two Michelle Guppy's! Go figure!)
Anyway, I am mainly known by my friends and fellow comrades simply as "Brandon's mom". (But then I'm also known by those who have denied my son the services he needs, as "THAT MOM!" - The mom who will not tolerate discrimination! It is this name I'm proudest of!)
Brandon is my son who is 13 years old (EGADS! A teenager!) and who is non-verbal and has autism. He's the inspiration for the writings which brought me here today to welcome you as you join with me and many others through this book and through this website.
But somehow as I sit here, "welcome" doesn't seem like the appropriate thing to say. This is probably not a website you ever dreamed of belonging to. It's certainly not a book or website I would have ever dreamed I would be writing for!
But.... here I am, and here you are.
Bittersweet irony at it's best....
I cannot believe that I have been on this rollercoaster journey since my son was diagnosed at 2 years of age.... In some ways it seems like yesterday - and in other ways - a lifetime ago. He has come so far and has made so much progress! It's mind-boggling!
Quite mind-boggling in how I went from a young woman at 18 who said she'd never get married, much less have CHILDREN, - to a 38 year-old wife of almost 20 years, and mom to two boys, - one of which has autism. Certainly not the yuppie life I had envisioned; and yet certainly not a life I would ever change for all the yuppie status, boats, cars, 401-K's or stocks in the world!
Even though I wouldn't change this life, it is overwhelming.
The love that is. Overwhelming in how much you can love a person who is not able to reciprocate that love, or who doesn't even understand "love". I think many stories in the book will highlight that kind of love above all. The love that surpasses any diagnosis, disability, or disease. The love that brings healing - though not always physically. Or even the love that survives the premature death of a child. I think that it is the love we have for our children or loved ones who have disabilities, that will unite us most through sharing stories about that love.
The heartache. In finding out your child has a disability. No matter how, or when, we all go through the cycle…. We've all had those feelings of anger, despair, acceptance, denial. But as we go through those cycles, as "I" continue to go through those cycles, I try to always remember that among the heartache, there is hope. My friend put it perfectly: "Autism is not the end of the world - it's the beginning of a new one - just open your eyes and see." Of course I didn't do that at the time. In fact, when my son was diagnosed, I shut my eyes so tight in denial that the jaws of life couldn't have pried them open. I didn't want to face it. But eventually, I did. And now that my eyes are wide open - I do have to say that there are many things in this new world I would not trade for all the "perfect-ness" of having the typical child I dreamed of. How did you get through those first years, how did you cope?
And finally, the laughter. No, there's nothing funny about what unites us to bring us here today. But I often use humor to characterize certain aspects of my journey. I do realize that a new diagnosis of autism, or any disability or disease, is far from humorous. I do not trivialize that aspect.
I do remember very well what my emotions were the day, week, and month after I received the diagnosis of autism. I would imagine your emotions were about the same as mine were... anything but humorous. But when your house is locked down tighter than the White House so your child with autism won't flood it, destroy it, or escape from it, - you have to look at that situation with laughter in order to keep your sanity. At least I do; since my house has been flooded 3 times, and my neighbor has, on more than one occasion, found that my son has flung open their front door and marched inside for an unexpected visit. In his underwear. I'm sure you have many such stories of embarrassment and disaster - where laughter truly was the best medicine for that situation!
So, while on the one hand I'm welcoming you to a sorority of sisters that you never wanted to join in the first place, I on the other hand, welcome you based on the fact that no where else in the world, and with no other group of people, will you be more "welcomed" - than here among your fellow soul supporters.
Here, we'll love, we'll laugh, and we'll cry.
Here, we'll share stories, and we'll support one another.
Welcome.
by Michelle M. Guppy
My name is Michelle M. Guppy. (The "M" just something that has stuck because in my family - there are two Michelle Guppy's! Go figure!)
Anyway, I am mainly known by my friends and fellow comrades simply as "Brandon's mom". (But then I'm also known by those who have denied my son the services he needs, as "THAT MOM!" - The mom who will not tolerate discrimination! It is this name I'm proudest of!)
Brandon is my son who is 13 years old (EGADS! A teenager!) and who is non-verbal and has autism. He's the inspiration for the writings which brought me here today to welcome you as you join with me and many others through this book and through this website.
But somehow as I sit here, "welcome" doesn't seem like the appropriate thing to say. This is probably not a website you ever dreamed of belonging to. It's certainly not a book or website I would have ever dreamed I would be writing for!
But.... here I am, and here you are.
Bittersweet irony at it's best....
I cannot believe that I have been on this rollercoaster journey since my son was diagnosed at 2 years of age.... In some ways it seems like yesterday - and in other ways - a lifetime ago. He has come so far and has made so much progress! It's mind-boggling!
Quite mind-boggling in how I went from a young woman at 18 who said she'd never get married, much less have CHILDREN, - to a 38 year-old wife of almost 20 years, and mom to two boys, - one of which has autism. Certainly not the yuppie life I had envisioned; and yet certainly not a life I would ever change for all the yuppie status, boats, cars, 401-K's or stocks in the world!
Even though I wouldn't change this life, it is overwhelming.
The love that is. Overwhelming in how much you can love a person who is not able to reciprocate that love, or who doesn't even understand "love". I think many stories in the book will highlight that kind of love above all. The love that surpasses any diagnosis, disability, or disease. The love that brings healing - though not always physically. Or even the love that survives the premature death of a child. I think that it is the love we have for our children or loved ones who have disabilities, that will unite us most through sharing stories about that love.
The heartache. In finding out your child has a disability. No matter how, or when, we all go through the cycle…. We've all had those feelings of anger, despair, acceptance, denial. But as we go through those cycles, as "I" continue to go through those cycles, I try to always remember that among the heartache, there is hope. My friend put it perfectly: "Autism is not the end of the world - it's the beginning of a new one - just open your eyes and see." Of course I didn't do that at the time. In fact, when my son was diagnosed, I shut my eyes so tight in denial that the jaws of life couldn't have pried them open. I didn't want to face it. But eventually, I did. And now that my eyes are wide open - I do have to say that there are many things in this new world I would not trade for all the "perfect-ness" of having the typical child I dreamed of. How did you get through those first years, how did you cope?
And finally, the laughter. No, there's nothing funny about what unites us to bring us here today. But I often use humor to characterize certain aspects of my journey. I do realize that a new diagnosis of autism, or any disability or disease, is far from humorous. I do not trivialize that aspect.
I do remember very well what my emotions were the day, week, and month after I received the diagnosis of autism. I would imagine your emotions were about the same as mine were... anything but humorous. But when your house is locked down tighter than the White House so your child with autism won't flood it, destroy it, or escape from it, - you have to look at that situation with laughter in order to keep your sanity. At least I do; since my house has been flooded 3 times, and my neighbor has, on more than one occasion, found that my son has flung open their front door and marched inside for an unexpected visit. In his underwear. I'm sure you have many such stories of embarrassment and disaster - where laughter truly was the best medicine for that situation!
So, while on the one hand I'm welcoming you to a sorority of sisters that you never wanted to join in the first place, I on the other hand, welcome you based on the fact that no where else in the world, and with no other group of people, will you be more "welcomed" - than here among your fellow soul supporters.
Here, we'll love, we'll laugh, and we'll cry.
Here, we'll share stories, and we'll support one another.
Welcome.
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Michelle M. Guppy lives outside of Houston, TX with her school, er family, of Guppy's: Husband Todd, (my rock) Guppy; and teenage boys Matthew, (have permit will drive) Guppy, and Brandon, (angel with autism & an attitude) Guppy; and their family dog Champ.
Finding a church that welcomed and cares for their little Guppy Brandon has been a blessing in allowing them to swim strong and thrive as a family. Michelle has been a contributing writer to Special Education Today, a publication of LifeWay, Inc. Michelle's "Ministry" in life is to encourage other mothers with God's love, humor, and most of all, Texas-sized sincerity (sometimes with a bit of sarcasm if warranted!). Michelle's motto is, "If anything I write touches someone, it's because Brandon inspired it, God dictated it, and I typed it." Her writings have been featured in several books. Michelle facilitates an Autism Society of America Chapter in Texas which publishes a yearly autism awareness calendar. You can reach Michelle at MichelleMGuppy@yahoo.com. Michelle is the president of Northwest Houston Chapter Autism Society of America |
