It has been my aim, for a long time, to do something to raise Autism Awareness – as I mentioned in my last post. Therefore, I have started an initiative called “The Be A Smile Project”. “Be a smile” is a phrase that my brother use to say a lot, especially when he was younger, whenever he would be happy. It’s just such a positive message, and it’s the kind of positivity I want to direct towards the topic of autism! I WANT YOU ALL TO JOIN ME!

Please do come see the facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/TheBeASmileProject

Here is a bit of information about the campaign – HOPE YOU ALL WILL PARTICIPATE AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD:-

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
I am trying to collect inspirational/personal messages, or any thoughts or opinions that you all have on how people with autism are treated by society, how they should be treated, and the need to change the attitude other have towards autistic people(acceptance). In fact, it could be ANYTHING you want to share with society in regard with autism.

These pictures will be used for public awareness. You can send in more than 1 picture if you like.

(NOTE: If in the picture you click, the letters are reversed or flipped, don’t worry about it, send the picture in, I can correct that

I have a lot planned for the coming month, so please be a part of my efforts to raise awareness. I WANT TO START A REVOLUTION! I SEEK TO EARN REAL CHANGE. I want to take this initiative as far ahead as possible. Any help from you guys would be highly appreciated. If you have any suggestions for the campaign, please don’t hesitate to write to us.
THANK YOU!

I would love to get some advice from any of you readers. Have you got any ideas on how I could approach my intension on spreading autism awareness?

Please, leave a comment…

At a shop in the small city, my brother was running about and laughing, and a few moments later, one of the many sales boys asked me how old he was. Note here that he didn’t pass any rude comments or make any judgements. He was simply curious about my brothers age. “14″, I replied, and the man just smiled and looked at his friend and started talking about how he was closer to guessing my brothers age correctly. While I do not appreciate people playing “guess the autistic kids age” game, I do however feel good to see that they didn’t have any mean intentions or hidden agendas, and even the fact that they didn’t say anything degrading or rude to mine or his face was refreshing.

At another instance, in a restaurant, the manager watched as my brother made several trips, walking back and forth from our table to the reception, where he was seated. He didn’t mind it at all, and smiled at my brother, even trying to make conversation with him. Again, curiosity arose in this small town chap. ” Has he always been like this?”, the manager asked me as we were about to leave the eatery, “It’s just I know someone else in my village who is like him”, he said.

These experiences have left me with a heightened liking of small town people, for their unassuming, inquisitive charm. It has also further made me realize the need of increased awareness on such issues, not just in cities, but also in the smaller towns and rural areas of the country.

” There came a time when the risk

to remain tight in the bud

was more painful

than the risk it took to blossom.”

This is a lesson I have learned from my brother. Everyday, I see him just being himself, uncaring and not bothered of the stares that he collects from others for being “different”, for being himself. He has taught me to always be who I truly am, and to act naturally, and to say what I feel. It was through his actions and behavior that I learnt, that being stuck in one’s own bubble, one’s own shell, can be truly damaging in the long run. We have to take the risk and reveal ourselves to the world, so that we can live a joyous life. You taught me that little brother… Hope you never change. Lots of love

Faith. Defined as placing complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Its a belief that you will get through with the aid of this person or thing beside you, guiding you. It could be a belief in god or any other person. The question is, is faith the most important tool for life? I feel that it is not.

Hope. To me hope is synonymous with optimism. It is defined as a desire for a certain thing to happen. Hope can get a person a long way if they truly believe. Again, I ask myself, is hope the most important tool for life? Well, I don’t think that it is.

Faith and Hope. No doubt these are very valuable beliefs to hold. Let me explain why I feel that they are not the most important ones. To me, faith and hope are both internally manifested feelings or emotions. They are created within us as a result of certain situations, such as failure or hardships. Although extremely powerful and intense emotions, to me they are not as important as the most powerful emotion of them all; Love.

Love conquers all. When I first came across this phrase as a child, I could not comprehend what it meant. Over the years, as I have grown from a little girl to a young adult, I have got a chance to witness and experience the powers of love firsthand. Now I understand what this phrase means.

Family. To me, family is love. You may find someone besides family who loves you, but with family you can be sure that the love will always be there. The people in my family are the ones that I love the most. My mother, father and younger brother; they are the soul of my life.

Now let me tell you the reasons why love is the most important tool for life. Its because love can give us the strength and courage to do anything! A classic example of this is super mommy strength. What do you think gives mothers the physical and mental strength to always protect their child? Its love. The love they have for their child is the most important, and powerful strength in the world. Even J.K Rowling would agree, as in the Harry Potter series, Harry’s life is saved by the power of his mothers love. Even the greatest evil cannot claim victory over it.

If you have love, you will have faith. Love increases our belief and confidence in god (or otherwise), for having given us someone to love. Having someone to love itself helps us place our trust in that person, and gain the faith that we can make it through life.

If you have love, you will have hope. The presence of love in our lives gives us the hope to believe that we will be able to find more love in the future if need be. The power of the love we have itself, will keep us hopeful that life ahead will be wonderful.

Love is an universal spirit. It is an universal energy that exists all around us. Unlike hope and faith, it isn’t internally manifested, though it can be. Primarily though, we feel the presence and existence of the love that surrounds us, even though the feeling may not stem from within ourselves.

Above all, I feel that love is the most important tool for life because it is the most powerful emotion that I have ever felt. It gives me such a rush, and fills me up with a sense of eternal uplitfment and happiness. Its transcendent.

Love yourself, love your life, and always keep your arms open, because love exists all around us!

-Sneha.

NOW

For now the words may not leave,

but soon they will awake.

to see the light of the day,

nourish in the sunshine.

for now the feeling may stay inside,

hiding from the bright earth.

so mean, powerful, turbulent and strong.

forces of evil do prevail.

I will not stay hidden forever though,

I have a huge part to play.

my role was cast and so I will behold.

my beliefs will not go in vain.

strength I have gained will guide me through.

battle I am prepared.

for you may have been undefeated,

but now you have met your match.