(Kyoto Pref./K.S/50’s/Female/Part-timer)
My son’s diagnosis of autism changed our life completely.
Every day was different—not knowing what to expect, and the fear and anxiety was overwhelming. This naturally brought me to Shinji Kyōkai to seek for help, peace and calmness to face my son in the right way. I didn’t want to be regretful about how I faced this situation.
One day, as I was studying the teachings, one principle caught my attention. It was a part where it teaches us, that issues about the children is better solved when the parents are well connected and on the same grounds. I knew this principle from long time ago, but never stayed in me like it did this time. It made me think about my relationship with my husband for the first time, and I was far from that principle.
It helped me realize that I wasn’t relying on my husband, nor trying to talk things with him about my son’s issues. I was facing my son’s autism without my husband. My husband wasn’t cooperative from the beginning which stopped me from asking, and at the same time, I figured it was better not to worry him because he is always so busy with work. But then I realized this was all excuses that I came up with in my own world. I wanted my husband together with me, I needed to change things.
As my first approach, I decided to communicate more with my husband—not just about our son, but my thoughts about anything. Then, changes started to appear. My husband gradually started to talk to me about his situations at his work, and there were definitely more conversations at the dinner tables. It’s just simple conversations, but it helped both of us to feel more emotionally stable to face life together.
My son, although he is very slow at work, he is working very hard at his part time job. And seeing him stable with his symptoms, and maturing every single day gives joy to the both of us as a couple.
My friends tell me I seem much more happier—that is how much I have changed. It was that one principle that caught my attention and changed how I face my situation. I face problems and worries every day, but I now have the confidence that I can overcome anything. I learned that a simple principle from the teachings and the effort to live by it, brings joy to all of us.