I'm Thankful for YOU

On my blog's Facebook page this morning, and in honor of Thanksgiving, I shared a note of thanks with many of you. Here it is again, just in case you missed it. And I mean every single word.

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Dear ‪Sensory‬ Friends,

I am incredibly ‪thankful‬ this year. When my Neurotypicals' Guide came out on The Body Is Not an Apology in late December 2014, I had no idea what it would mean for me in 2015. And then in March, Sensory World asked me to write a guidebook modeled after the article, explaining sensory issues. I'd dreamed of writing a book ever since I was tiny, and in a single moment, one of my oldest, most deeply-held dreams came true (and it's due out this coming spring! WOO!) After that, this year of ‪#SPD‬ advocacy and education caught on fire. I have absolutely loved working with the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation, SPD Parent Zone Organization, and The Sensory Spectrum on all sorts of conferences, articles, videos, and projects, and it's been an honor advocating alongside some of my favorite members of the greater sensory community, namely Eating Off Plastic, Annetta Nesler - Songstress, SPDlife.orgspdlife.org, and Chloe Rothschild.

What am I most thankful for, though? YOU. Every single one of you. I continuously can't believe that you not only let me tell my story, you applaud it. You even seek it out. You leave me notes here and on my blog. You email me and message me. You open up to me and share your innermost secrets and fears about your sensory self and your sensory children. You let me laugh with you and cry with you. You let me cheer on your triumphs and sit with you during your challenges.

I used to wonder why I was so different and why I felt in constant retreat from the world around me. I was quietly angry and disappointed with myself for what I perceived to be my shortcomings, and at times, I even hated who I was and mourned who I could never be. I now know that I was just in training for the future, for a time when I'd need to step up to the plate and speak my mind about the very thing that made me who I am. I was learning how to be proud of my differences in ‪#‎neurology‬ and to demand the respect that I deserved as a human being, regardless of the very same differences. I was preparing for this - the book, the blog, the articles, the conversations - all of it.

I was getting ready for you.

Thank you for being the most important part of ‪#MySensoryLife‬. An advocate is only as good as their community, and I am honored to be a part of the very best one.

Big things are coming in 2016, so stay tuned!

I love you all,

Rachel

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