Tuesday, June 14, 2016

"We Will Try Again": On Trying to Have Nice Things When you Have a Special Needs Child.

Sorry for the dark picture.

The other day, after having a blank wall for months, Jon came home with this beautiful work of art and said 
"we will try again." 


The last couple of paintings displayed in our living room were destroyed by Dan. He either broke the frames or peeled paper or paint (depending on the work's medium) off of them. As a person who works in a museum, I felt physical pain when I saw this happen and resigned to not having any art work in the house. "I work in a museum, I can see art there", I told myself. 

The other day, a friend told me, "you must be someone who loves beautiful things." Well, I do, but I know it's difficult to keep them in tact in the house with Dan running and jumping everywhere. My house is pretty plain. I have no grand displays of art,  picture frames, or beautiful objects. 

When hubby brought this work to the house, it was like he was bringing a new baby home and I was hoping and praying  my older child did not hurt it. Art IS my baby! Don't hurt my baby! Dan needs to be taught. 

I love my husband because he refuses to give up on us having a house filled with the things we love. For me it's paintings and for him, fish tanks. He constantly asserts that  we will not play down to his autism. "Autism shmautism", he says, "he has to learn." I have to learn too. With Dan, repetition is key, and I tend to give up too fast.


I'm grateful for his persistence. If art is my baby, I need it close to me. I don't want to settle for visitation rights. 

Now hubby wants us to get a dog...hold up man! One beautiful thing at a time.