May and June are crazy months in my house! I’m sure those of you with kids in school know exactly what I am talking about. In MY house, everyone is going in a million different directions. Work, tests, projects, games, afterschool activities! With one son driving, both kids involved in WAY too many activities and ready for summer, and a husband who commutes to New Jersey 4 days a week, we hardly see each other.
While I can rarely get all four of us around the dinner table at the same time anymore, we seem to have established a family tradition that will get us in the same place at the same time. For the past 3 years, my family has participated in the Autism Society of Central Virginia’s 5K.
This year I mentioned the date of the race and asked who wanted to join me. (I expected a bunch of groans and “I can’t because of…”) So I was pleasantly surprised when everyone said “yes.” My oldest took off work, my youngest rearranged his schedule, and both happily got out of bed on a Saturday morning much earlier than they normally would.
It was a gorgeous day with sunny, blue skies and the perfect temperature. Hundreds of people showed up to walk and run for a great cause with smiles on their faces. The crowd was a mix of old and young; a mix of families directly affected by autism and people out there to support their friends. Working for KnowDifferent.net and Carissa has broadened my knowledge and understanding of autism. It is so heartwarming and fun to go to an event like this and be a part of such of an important cause and supportive community. It’s something that I get so excited to share with my own family.
Another thing that I love is the fact that all of the money raised at the 5K stays in the Central Virginia area to support local individuals and families affected by autism.
It all started when our neighbor, one that we had just gotten to know, (Carissa) asked if we wanted to be a part of her son’s team, Team Marky. Three years later, this event has evolved into a special tradition for my family that I hope we can continue.
