Having been in lock down for the last 5 months, being 'high risk' and with covid procedures in place, my family finally came home for the weekend. It was the first time we had come together since last Christmas.

Autism and the Pandemic 

Not being able to see my family for the last 5 months, I was eager to see my children. With autism, it's been impossible to navigate and manoeuvre my thinking around the virus; I needed something to feel normal. I wanted something in my life to feel normal.

Lock Down 

With lock down now lifted, and with masks and social distancing in place, my family came together for the first time in 9 months. We talked things through to make sure we were comfortable with our choices.

Conclusion

With the house completely sanitised from top to toe, masks worn all weekend, and safe social distancing throughout, my family came together under one roof for the first time this year.

Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines. Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.

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4 comments on “My Family Finally Together”

  1. It must have been wonderful to fellowship with your family and express love to one another in your home again.

    Awesome, just awesome, Ilana.

  2. Thanks Tim. Yes, I had the best time, made all the more sweeter because it had been a while since I'd seen them.

    After about an hour, it felt right it was sad to see them go. I won't feel so nervous next time, but now I know we can do it safely, it's all good.

    1. Thanks. Yes, where you say 'now you have done it safely, you know it will be okay to see them more often' - it's a weight off my mind to know I can. It doesn't seem so scary now.

      The whole virus concept through autism is difficult to comprehend, difficult to accept, now feeling easier because I have managed to get past this point. As you say I have done it.

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