Dear Issy

Image: Blue text reads "We, autistics, are a community that embraces you just as you are. - Amy Sequenzia

text is on blue background with lighter blue diagonal stripes.  Ollibean.com logo in lower right corner. 

You don’t know me but I have seen your pictures.
You don’t know me but I know parts of your story.

Soon you will wake up and a lot will have changed.

You will be in a hospital because your mother did something terrible to you. I know you love your mom and things are going to be very confusing because people are going to say things that will not make sense. And you will not be able to see or talk to your mom. This is a good thing, and you will understand it later.
But I don’t want to talk about your mom.

I want to say is this:

We, autistics, are a community that embraces you just as you are.
We do not ask or require that you change in order to be accepted.
We know that sometimes some of us react with violence to certain situations. We still embrace you.
We want you to feel respected for who you are. We will not impose on you what some call “treatment”. These are only made up molders that you cannot fit in without leaving out your essence.
We want your essence to be part of our community.

I don’t know how you feel right now but I want to remind you that:

You are a human being.
You deserve to be yourself.
You have rights.
You belong in this planet.
You have supporters.
You are not alone, even when you are not understood.
We understand you.
We are here for you and all you have to do is BE.
We have your back.

We are your autistic community and you are welcomed without conditions, if you want to join us.

We are just like you and your life matters to us.

With love

Autistics

by Amy Sequenzia

Originally published: http://ollibean.com/2013/09/09/dear-issy/#sthash.jkMKOzsA.dpuf