Love Actually

They say that love has myriad hues . Truer words were never spoken .

Anindita was a very cute and chubby six year old . Blessed with doting parents and loving grandparents , she had a happy life - for nobody in her family made her feel that she was different . Anindita had autism and the way that she experienced the world around her was so so different from other children her age .

One day Anindita went with her mom and neighbourhood kids to the new Corner House ice cream parlour down the street . It was Ridhima’s birthday treat and her mother had ordered death by chocolate ice cream for everyone . Anindita thought that the ice cream looked tempting but she was apprehensive about the liberal sprinkling of nuts , for nuts made her mouth feel terrible , almost like putting pins into it . The smell of chocolate wafting through the air was inviting and she decided to pop a spoon of ice cream into her mouth . Anindita could see the look of joy in her mother’s face from the corner of her eye .

And then it happened -the nuts created a painful chaos in her mouth sending her mind to confusion land. She desperately tried to ask for help but all that came out of her mouth were loud screams. Her mother sensed the trouble that Anindita was in and rushed to buy some vanilla ice cream and fed her a spoon , much to the chagrin of the onlookers who obviously considered themselves to be experts in parenting . The vanilla ice cream made Anindita feel good and she went home after eating it .

We autistics experience the world very differently , all thanks to our hyper acute senses and the “ behaviours" that we exhibit at certain times are a result of that . These are moments when we are our most vulnerable selves . They say “Never judge a book by its cover .” Judging us on the basis of our behaviour in a vulnerable moment will only lead to false conclusions .

I like to think of my parents , as also the parents  of other autistics , as superheroes . After all we experience situations like the one described above ever so often . My parents have made me feel loved , cherished and safe in all vulnerable moments . What stands out is love in its purest form . 

Comments

  1. VarshaMarch 17, 2022 at 11:03 PM

    So well put 😇🥰

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  2. DeepaMarch 17, 2022 at 11:34 PM

    Perfectly written 👌🏽

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  3. vijiMarch 17, 2022 at 11:39 PM

    Love this! True, love has myriad hues. Those who love you accept you unconditionally.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UmaMarch 18, 2022 at 12:30 AM

    Dear Aditi,

    With every post of yours,I seem to understand the special world better.
    Thanks for letting us peep in your world.

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    Replies
    1. Aditi SowmyanarayanMarch 18, 2022 at 2:06 AM

      Thank you for reading my blogs..it encourages me to write more

      Delete
  5. UnknownMarch 18, 2022 at 12:34 AM

    Very nicely written Aditi.. So profound statement regarding judging someone on basis of behavior in a vulnerable moment.

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    Replies
    1. Aditi SowmyanarayanMarch 18, 2022 at 2:06 AM

      And all of us are guilty of having done this at least once

      Delete
  6. UnknownMarch 18, 2022 at 1:23 AM

    So touching, wonderfully expressed ❤️😘

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  7. RemyaMarch 18, 2022 at 2:47 AM

    That was such a beautiful share Aditi... Thankyou so much... It means the world to understand a perspective which we as parents are unable to experience physically but feel it all the while and only wish we could do the best in such situations... Lots of love to you... Keep writing

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    Replies
    1. Aditi SowmyanarayanMarch 18, 2022 at 10:44 PM

      Thank you Ramya aunty. Amma showed me the message you sent to her. Trust me my parents are my rock…and I believe that is true for all people of my tribe. It motivates me to write better and write more. Thank you

      Delete
  8. MeeraMarch 18, 2022 at 10:16 AM

    Very well written Adithi... I just love the way you put across your thoughts in your own words... god bless you dear...

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  9. SwarnaMarch 18, 2022 at 6:42 PM

    Beautifully penned. Thanks for sharing 👍

    ReplyDelete
  10. Aditi SowmyanarayanMarch 18, 2022 at 10:43 PM

    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kavitha KrishnamoorthyMarch 19, 2022 at 8:29 AM

    What a lovely blog post Aditi. Thank you for giving us a peep into your world through this post and through your blog. An insight into your world helps us parents understand our children better. Thank you for doing this and wishing you the very best.

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    Replies
    1. Aditi SowmyanarayanMarch 19, 2022 at 9:09 PM

      Thank you for the kind words.it motivates me to write more

      Delete
  12. Venkatesh GovindarajanMarch 20, 2022 at 2:04 AM

    'Love'ly post Dear Aditi. 'Love' is empathy. 'Love' is understanding. 'Love' is being there when needed the most. You are blessed with parents, who truly love you, at all times. We all have our vulnerable moments. We all need dependable shoulders to lean on, during our moments of vulnerability. It is just that Autistics have a heightened sense of vulnerability, due to the heightened sense of perception experienced by them. We learn about this, by reading about your unique and personal experiences, so acutely narrated by you. This will help us to respond better to Autistics, we will interact with, during the course of our lives. Your literary expression is, a learning opportunity, for us, non-autistics. The bottom line is, you have parents, who not just care for you, but dotingly adore you, at all times, and are in the true sense, your friend, philosopher and guide. Let us call their love for you, 'Love Sublime'.

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    Replies
    1. Aditi SowmyanarayanMarch 22, 2022 at 1:18 AM

      Thank you Thatha for reading my blog and for the feedback. The world is after all what we make of it and how we perceive situations determine what we make of the world and people around us. If my blogs help people understand our perspective, then my job is done and I feel motivated to write more. And yes, you are correct about my parents- Anand and Shwetha as you know them- they are my rockstars

      Delete
    2. Venkatesh GovindarajanMarch 22, 2022 at 11:23 PM

      Absolutely, Dear Aditi. Reading your blogs helps me understand your perspective. You are speaking on behalf of the entire autistic fraternity, across the varying autistic spectrum. And yes Dear Aditi, your parents, Anand and Shwetha, who have stood by you like a rock, are truly rockstars, all the way!!

      Delete
  13. Mohan SanthanamMay 6, 2022 at 3:26 AM

    Great! You have such wonderful narrative and you truly brought the ice cream parlour alive!

    ReplyDelete

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