Steve Jobs

This past Thursday was a day like any other week day.  I get up, get the kids to school and run around like a chicken until they get home.  There are phone calls to make, letters to write and photos to upload while I try to wash dishes.   I spend part of my day getting back to people on facebook finding a common theme on people’s posts.  I read, “Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, dies of Pancreatic Cancer, Age 56.”   My initial thought was, “Shoot, this guy died of cancer.  When is my cancer going to return.”  It is not a question but a statement. 

I spent some minutes thinking and my thoughts drift, “Shoot, who is going to take his place and will they be able to help our kids with Autism.” 

Sam has an interest in photography.  In my eyes this makes Sam like any other mainstream kid who has activities that they find interesting.  Being his Mom I have to say that his pictures are aesthetically pleasing.  He works every Tuesday on a Mac with his Music Therapist either creating music or editing his photos.  His life is an open ended question where we will continually work toward a positive future. 

Sam is not like the other mainstream kids with his inability to regulate himself and make his life predictable.  I worry about how he is going to make his schedule, take his medications and just be independent.  I am on a quest to get Sam an iPad and have it paid through Family Reimbursement.  He has an interest in computers and I am confident that his life will be better once we navigate and learn this wondrous piece of equipment.

With Apps like Time Timer, I can look  forward to the day where my conversations with Sam are not filled with, “Mom? How many more minutes until we….?”  My life as a talking clock can be replaced by more productive conversations.  Sam and I can be a team collaborating on what chores he will be responsible for without the aggravation of using a pen and paper.  The list is endless of possibilities to make Sam’s life better.

I spent much of my day learning who Steve Jobs was and how he has influenced others.  Creative posts revealed the sadness with his passing.  The Autism parent message board was filled with discussions on how to get an iPad.  Blogs were written with messages of gratitude on how the iPad has helped their children become more independent. 

Our story isn’t written yet on how the iPad has helped Sam.  Stay tuned.

Rest in peace Steve Jobs.  You will be missed.

Definition of Mental

1.a: of, relating to, or being intellectual as contrasted with overt physical activity.

2.a: of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder <mental patient>.

b: mentally disordered, mad, crazy.

I choose being an intellectual as my definition of being mental.

*The photo that I use for my background was taken by Sam