Really??? Lighten Up, People!

Excuse me while I get a superiority complex for believing that if I can keep a sense of humor after all my family has been through and goes through on a daily basis, then just about anyone should be able to do so as well. Of course, keeping a sense of humor would require that a person have one in the first place.

I won't go into the long, boring details that fueled this latest little rant but suffice it to say that I think people who cannot distinguish humor online either need to stay off the computer or at least ask questions before they get all offended.

Here is the short list of things my family has dealt with over the last several months:

*First, and foremost, having to deal with autism on a daily basis, which is more than any human should be expected to do. And then on top of it, multiply it by two children. No, Milla is not diagnosed.....yet. That will surely follow towards the latter part of this month. (Yeah, we hit the jackpot on that one!)
My reaction? With all the therapies our children require, we are helping to keep people employed. Go autism! We are helping the economy!

*A bathroom remodel that lasted three months, ending with my firing of our contractor, and an incomplete project. Okay, maybe I didn't keep people employed on this one but we did keep him and his crew employed much longer than anyone should have to be employed for a simple bathroom remodel that should have taken two weeks, at most.
My reaction? At least they were out before Thanksgiving!

*Beginning of full-time ABA therapy, resulting in people being in our house five days per week for the majority of our waking hours.
My reaction? Finally, I have a motivating factor for keeping the house in order. It doesn't mean I do though. Hey, I only said I have a motivating factor, not that it actually motivates me.

*A flooded basement due to a busted water heater.
My reaction? Free water heater!!!! The old (relatively speaking, that is, because the old one was only three years old) one was still under warranty.

*Two seizures, one requiring an ambulance ride to the hospital.
My reaction? It was a good thing we didn't get things worked out with the school for Reiss to attend kindergarten. The day the most recent seizure happened would have been his first day of school. How's that for initiating a new teacher into the world of autism and its comorbidities?

*Numerous bouts of vomiting, diarrhea, and bloody noses.
My reaction? Between Reiss and Milla, they were happening fairly close together so I was able to wash the soiled clothes together.

*Endless doctors appointments, lab tests, supplements, medical bills, and newly occurring autism-related ailments appearing just as soon as we clear up a separate ailment.
My reaction? Our incredibly high insurance deductible gets met very early in the year. BONUS! One less thing to worry about during the year.

*Several instances of discrimination towards our child or our family because of our child's autism.
My reaction? We are spared the wonder of how much we need to tell people in regards to our child's autism. They let us know upfront that they are ignorant!

*And today: a flooded basement AGAIN. This time due to a leak where the water comes into the house.
My reaction? Yaaaayyy!!! We get to tear out those hideous bushes in front of the house! Better yet, someone is tearing out the bushes for us. Bonus again! Those backhoe operators tomorrow are not going to give a diddley about those bushes!

Again, that is the short list. It also does not include the stresses of events happening outside our family that directly affect our family.

My point? Is it really that difficult to keep a sense of humor? I figure if I can still laugh when most days I feel like crying and if I can keep a sense of humor while having no access to running water for two days, no shower, and getting the privilege of paying thousands of dollars for having BO, then surely other people should be able to take a joke.

Or, at the very least, laugh now and ask questions later.