Pillows Pillows everywhere! Ever see an ad for a furniture store and there are a ton of pillows on the beds? Well, I am one of those people who really loves pillows…I can never have enough pillows. I honestly would have 20 pillows on our bed. I am not sure why that is, but I have always loved pillows. When Peyton was young he was obsessed with stuffed animals, and it honesty didn’t bother me that he had so many. Stuffed animals were his go to “safety net” and I think pillows are mine. I love a “cozy home” I can’t have enough candles, throws and pillows. My kids have always teased me about my love of candles and pillows. Now that my older kids all have their own homes they always say how much they love coming home..because of how “comfortable” our home is. They relax and feel like they are at a bed and breakfast…I take this as a compliment. 
I think each of us have that “safety net” in our lives, we all deal with stress differently, but the key is to deal with it. We all have stress in our lives and it seems these days, some people use their “stress” as an excuse for bad behavior. I have seen more name calling and disrespectful behavior by some people in the last year, than I think I ever have. It especially bothers me seeing people who are supposed to be examples to kids, behave in such a bad way. Stress isn’t good for so many reasons, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. We need to recognize our stress, admit it and deal with it. Lashing at others isn’t a solution in fact it’s adding to the issue. I am very sensitive to this as I see Peyton not always handle stress well. He sees people being outright ugly to others because they disagree with them, it upsets him,this is sad for many reasons. I wish many adults would stop, and think. They need to set positive examples not encourage bad behavior. We all have seen the saying “don’t judge others, because you don’t know what another person is going through” I really wish people would not just say this….but live it. Life is difficult and for autism families it can really be especially tough. I have discussed in previous blogs how I needed my “coffee break” when Peyton was young, even though it was tough at times. I needed a stress free time then and still do to this day. I have been lucky as I have had a support network that has helped. I have had autism parents tell me they really feel overwhelmed and not quite sure how to get a quiet moment. This is sad,as they really do need to have one to help cope with their daily stresses. Before Peyton my stress free time was easier, but I knew I needed to destress even more when he was young. No matter what works for each of us…pillows, cup of coffee etc… We need to have that quiet, stress free zone that is our “safety net”