Light

Elizabeth Estrada shares her gratitude for answered prayers after years of praying to know how best to help her struggling son.

For the last six years, my 14-year-old son has battled depression and anxiety due to trauma. Many tests have been done to shed light on what his needs are in order to give him support. For me as a mom, this has been a difficult journey. Since he was a baby, I knew that there was something different about my son, but didn’t quite know what it could be. His preschool teachers also wondered, but I kept doing the best thing I knew: to love him.

Being a mom isn’t easy. Even as an educator, it is the hardest thing I have ever done and continue to do, especially because every stage has its challenges. I wondered if maybe my son's many challenges socially and in his personality were caused by me, because of my genes or my mothering.

Even through all of this, God was faithful and walked the course with us. He led us to good people, specialists, and teachers who would encourage us by shedding light on something we never even saw or thought about along the way.

Every time I read in the Bible or heard in a homily about carrying a candle in the darkness or even about Creation and the way God created light, I knew He would, in His own time, let the light shine on what I needed to do for my son, as his mom.

Finally, a couple of weeks ago we received the results of another comprehensive test that showed why my son has these challenges. He is autistic and has a non-verbal language disability. We were both relieved and happy because we had answers we could use moving forward.

In His own timing, God brought light to this heavy darkness we have struggled, prayed about, and surrendered to Him for years. I know that St. Dymphna, the patron of anxiety and nervous disorders, along with our Blessed Mother, have taken our prayers to Jesus.

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In His own timing, God brought light to this heavy darkness we have struggled, prayed about, and surrendered to Him for years. #catholicmom

I wanted to share my story in order to encourage you or someone you know who struggles with autism that there are others can listen and support you and yours on this journey. The more we know and advocate for those who are autistic, the more light we can bring to others.

I am thankful every day for the gift of light.

I would love to hear how autism has come into your life.

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