Dear Friends,
Wow, I have had the best day! It represents a lot of progress for me in diverse ways. First, Tara and I went ocean swimming in La Jolla. Last time we snorkeled, my body somehow started to struggle with keeping my mouth closed around the snorkel, so it kept flooding and I started to panic. Luckily, Tara was once trained as a rescue diver, so she kept her cool and calmed me down and guided me to swim safely to shore. But I was shaken. So she suggested we focus on ocean swimming for now, so I wouldn’t need to stress about the snorkel. I love that I could accept this alternative without seeing it as a failure. It is okay to adapt to my current needs! And I loved our swim today. Visibility wasn’t great, but the water felt fantastic and my swimming skills felt strong. It is a beautiful spot, and we took frequent breaks to admire the cliffs.
Then we walked along the coast. I loved it! Seeing seals and sea lions and pelicans is always so cool. But I got a bit chilled (it is unseasonably cool these days) and that made me a bit anxious. I went into Arnold mode, stimming and stomping and running. It was so stressful. It was so quick to kick in!
But I kept trying to ground myself, and Tara tried to help too. I have been regularly meditating with my mom, which I think helped. After a tasty burrito, I felt happy and light again.
Then I went to a local barbershop in Escondido, where I live, where I got a sharp cut and cleanup of my facial hair. The barber was so cool and loved my spelling! And I love how it turned out.
Then I got to hang out with some awesome people at a Nonspeaking Leadership Council meeting for I-ASC. I love this group!
I am so proud of my adaptability and resilience. And today was such a great representation of all I can do with communication. It is amazing! Shaping my own life, managing my anxiety, making my voice heard in decision-making, and also cherishing all of it. It is a remarkable change from a handful of years ago.
I hope you are all finding even small things to be proud of and enjoy. Take care!
Your Friend,
Danny
Danny With Words 