A Piece of the Puzzle

Since last month was Autism Awareness month, I painted this picture to not only depict what things were like for me & how I felt as a child with high functioning autism growing up, but also to show that even though I'm different, I'm still a piece of the puzzle, as we all are. If you notice, one puzzle piece is blue while the rest of the pieces are all gray, but in different shades (I'm not referring to "Fifty Shades of Grey." I have neither seen the movie, nor do I wish to see it). The point is, in the painting, we're all different even though we look the same. We're all God's children. Growing up, I thought I was the only one who was different because I felt completely different from everybody, including my family. I was like a sore thumb sticking out of my family and my peer groups. But when I grew up and was old enough to understand, I realized we're all different. Even in my family, we're all different. But, it doesn't make us individually less of a person. We're all pieces of the puzzle.
To show hope to others who are struggling with autism or know someone with autism, I shared my story on the Autism Speaks Share Your Story Mosaic on the day it was Autism Awareness Day. My hope for anyone who reads my story is to know that it is possible to overcome the challenges we face.

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