Sensory Valentines for Your Favorite Neurotypical
New conclusion: nothing is funnier than an offbeat, SPD-specific valentine.
I've joined forces with the talented and hilarious Kelly Dillon of Eating Off Plastic, an illustrated blog about SPD, to create four Valentines for SPD teens and adults to share with their handlers and loved ones. Kelly is the artist extraordinaire and I am the word guru. We are a perfect creative pairing if I do say so myself - and we're the stars of the valentines too!
The idea came to me earlier this week when I was thinking about ways to honor my husband/handler, who sees the full extent of my - ahem, colorful sensory behaviors, on Valentine's Day. There are just no valentines that say what I'd love to say to him - like:
Thanks for Being My Fidget, Valentine!
I Love You More Than a Temple Grandin Hug Machine!
Valentine, Loving You is Like Turning Out the Lights!
You Are the Best Weighted Blanket of All!
Because really, as I wrote in An Ode to My Handler, "People say 'love is this, love is that.' Let me tell you: Love is the drape of skin and bones of one body across another, when nothing else will suffice." The relationship of a dedicated and loving neurotypical and someone with SPD has nuances that just aren't present in couples without sensory differences. SPD means that we have unusual quirks and unique needs that we must always strive to meet to say regulated, and our handlers play a crucial role in our well-being. It takes time, coordination, and practice, but nothing is quite as powerful as a handler/SPD relationship.
And so here are our funny sensory valentines for your favorite neurotypical. Feel free to save them and share them with your most beloved human fidget.
Happy Valentine's Day :)
I've joined forces with the talented and hilarious Kelly Dillon of Eating Off Plastic, an illustrated blog about SPD, to create four Valentines for SPD teens and adults to share with their handlers and loved ones. Kelly is the artist extraordinaire and I am the word guru. We are a perfect creative pairing if I do say so myself - and we're the stars of the valentines too!
The idea came to me earlier this week when I was thinking about ways to honor my husband/handler, who sees the full extent of my - ahem, colorful sensory behaviors, on Valentine's Day. There are just no valentines that say what I'd love to say to him - like:
Thanks for Being My Fidget, Valentine!
I Love You More Than a Temple Grandin Hug Machine!
Valentine, Loving You is Like Turning Out the Lights!
You Are the Best Weighted Blanket of All!
Because really, as I wrote in An Ode to My Handler, "People say 'love is this, love is that.' Let me tell you: Love is the drape of skin and bones of one body across another, when nothing else will suffice." The relationship of a dedicated and loving neurotypical and someone with SPD has nuances that just aren't present in couples without sensory differences. SPD means that we have unusual quirks and unique needs that we must always strive to meet to say regulated, and our handlers play a crucial role in our well-being. It takes time, coordination, and practice, but nothing is quite as powerful as a handler/SPD relationship.
And so here are our funny sensory valentines for your favorite neurotypical. Feel free to save them and share them with your most beloved human fidget.
Happy Valentine's Day :)
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