A Sister's Perspective

I wish my husband had written about Bil when they were both young.  I wonder what he would have said.

That's why I enjoyed this post by a teenager who has an older brother with autism. 

I remember my mother in law's hurt one time when she discussed her childrens' relationship with Bil when they were growing up.  I think she would have loved for them to take on some of her burden.  Keep in mind that in the 1970's my mother would not have had any support.  Not from her pediatrician, not from the schools, not from support groups.

She looked to her children.

And her children wanted to be children.  They wanted their lives.  I can sympathize greatly with my teenaged husband to be, trying to be a "normal" teenager and not the sibling of someone with autism.  By the time his family knew Bil had autism (keeping in mind it was NOT a common diagnosis in those days) my husband was already out of the house and living out of state.

Today, I'm glad to say, sibling have support. 

I encourage you to read the post I linked to.  I'd also love to see what she might say in 10 years.

And the other thing?  I hope that her Mom and Dad have made plans for her brother Marshall, and not left things up in the air the way my mother in law has.  Even to this day, in her 80's she still can not face the fact that she will leave her son behind. 

But that is a story for future posts.