While I was away in Chicago for the Autism One Conference, mothers in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex enjoyed a special day of relaxation and rejuvenation thanks to Julie Hornok, the National Autism Association of North Texas (NAA-NT) and countless sponsors. AutismSpot’s Kent & Angie Potter compiled a touching video with local families which was shown at the event luncheon; you can watch Sharing Hope HERE. The event was a tremendous success and Julie Hornok graciously offered to share the experience with our readers via this guest blog.

I’d love to see Julie’s idea take flight in communities and cities across the world!

NAA-NT AUTISM MOMS’ DAY OUT!
Guest Blog by Julie Hornok

“Make sure to take some time for yourself,” seems to be a phase well-meaning people flippantly say to moms with children with autism. I smile politely and nod my head, but inside I am mocking them because they don’t have the slightest clue. As if a day off would be easy; I wish I could declare a “me day” and go to the nearest spa without a care in the world.

They have no idea what it is like to have every thought revolve around autism. They have no idea the extra energy it takes to care for a child with autism. If I am not actively avoiding a massive meltdown, driving to therapy or forcing non-preferred foods down my daughter’s throat, I am in an autism-planning mode. You will find me “taking time for myself” by reading up on the latest treatments, working on her IEP, improving school relations, and preparing the day’s supplements and special diet food.

As much as I want to be annoyed with someone telling me to take time for myself, I know they are right. Even though my life will never be normal again, I need to forget my struggles, even if it is for only one day. Honestly, it has been so long since I have cleared my head of autism and focused on just myself, I don’t even know what I would do for fun anymore.

The National Autism Association of North Texas recognized this exact need in the autism community and put together a day that would cater to local mom’s bodies, minds and souls.

Thursday, May 26th was declared Autism Moms’ Day Out! At 8:30 am, 90 moms from all around the DFW area excitedly arrived at the Gleneagles Country Club in Plano for a day of pampering. After registering, they were presented with an event bag, t-shirt and 30 raffle tickets and then escorted to the prize room where they checked out 120 different prizes to choose from. The moms deliberated as if their lives depended on it, dropped their tickets in for the prizes of their choice and hoped they would win one of the coveted top prizes. Big winners included Stacy Wright winning the 6 Month Lifetime Fitness Membership, and Stacy Crowe winning a semester of social skills classes with Help Hope Solutions. All 120 prizes were donated by generous members of the community.

Once the tough raffle choices were made, the moms headed to the pool where 31 massage therapists waited patiently to give each mom a 50-minute massage. After the massage, there was time for moms to clear their minds by laying around the pool, eating frozen yogurt, participating in a yoga class, reading magazines and chatting with friends while listening to soft, relaxing ballots from the 80’s and 90’s sung live by Paul D’Adamo.

With only their souls left to be healed, the moms entered the beautiful clubhouse for lunch. At each plate was a fabulously wrapped gift that included a mani-pedi from Polished Spa, a lovely necklace, yummy chocolates, a fancy mini-autism clipboard and delicious cake balls.

As they ate, a video from AutismSpot showcased local moms and how they keep the hope alive. Colleen Swindoll-Thompson, a mother of a child with autism and Director of Special Needs at Insight For Living, shared how she remains joyful by changing her expectations in the midst of her hard circumstances. Laughter, tears and a renewed spirit of determination were shared by all.

Soon the clock struck 2:00 pm, and it was time for each of these ladies return to the real world. Though life’s circumstances hadn’t changed, somehow their perspective about those circumstances had. For this reason, maybe when the next person tells me to “take some time for myself,” I will do just that.

Julie Hornok is the mother of three kids, Andrew, Lizzie and Noah. Lizzie was diagnosed with moderate autism at 2 years old and now, at 8, is mainstreamed in school (with some help) and enthusiastically enjoys relationships with friends and family. Julie feels blessed that her daughter has come so far and enjoys spending her free time helping moms with a new autism diagnosis and giving back to the special needs community by putting together events like the Autism Moms’ Day Out. Read more at Julie and Lizzie’s blog.

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Special thanks to Julie for submitting this guest blog, the wonderful photos and for making such an amazing day possible for so many mothers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area! (Julie can be seen in the fourth photo down, on the right, in the blue "Autism Moms' Day Out" shirt, with Maureen Bordelon, on the left, in the cute straw hat!)

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Leigh Attaway Wilcox is a writer and editor for the projectLD family of companies. Leigh is Assistant Editor of the internationally acclaimed AutismSpot.com and her work can be found on many of the pLDNetworks sites. Leigh is the author of ALL BETTER: A Touch-and-Heal Book published by Piggy Toes Press in 2007. Leigh lives in North Texas with her husband and young son who loves reading, LEGOs, Mario Bros. and also happens to live with Asperger's Syndrome, an Autism Spectrum Disorder.