Brothers
            Sometimes when there’s an autistic child in the family, siblings get lost in the frenzied turmoil of trying to help the child with more immediate, dire challenges.
            “We’ll come back to the museum again soon, honey, but we have to leave now because your brother is having a meltdown.”
            “I know you want to try that ride but I can’t get your brother to move, and you can’t go alone.”
            You want to let the “typically developing” child find their independence, but with all the fires to put out for safety issues, opportunities allowing them to stretch their wings are frustratingly limited.
            Tough on the neurotypical kid, yes. Makes parents feel guilty, yes. Avoidable? Maybe in someone else’s miracle-world, but not in most autism households we know.
            Siblings of severely challenged family members live a different childhood, and become sensitive and mature beyond their years largely due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control.
            Frustrated as our older son may have been at times growing up, he chooses to be companion to his autistic brother on family hikes. It’s his chance to offer us parents a brief moment to walk freely and not directly supervise his brother.
            The hand our autistic son reaches for first on family walks? His brother’s.
            Heartfelt thanks to all the siblings out there with family members requiring extraordinary care. We see you!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Queen Wilhelmina Garden, take readers to a highlight spot in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, which can make for an easy stroll visit on its own, or be part of a bigger walk around the park.
            The long list of Hikes can be found on the Quick View Hike List and on the main Hikes page. All past Insights posts can also be viewed in the Insights/Hike Update News archives.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Please feel free to share. Follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 129: Queen Wilhelmina Garden

Emerging
            As we roll into the first week of spring, the world feels like it’s emerging from a year-long winter of the pandemic. Twists and turns still lie ahead, but optimism toward a gradual return to some sense of normalcy is palpable.
            As the bright hues of daffodils and tulips and the glowing pastels of plum and cherry blossoms bring a perennial feeling of renewal and happiness, signs of illness waning and society opening up bring hope and relief.
            With each year we get older, the cycle of the seasons seems to spin by faster and faster. In this historic health crisis, though, it feels like we’ve been living in an endless gray season. Many of us have lost our normal sense of time passing, feeling as if an entire year disappeared like a blip on a screen.
            As flowers blossom and we open into a hopeful period, may time slow down again so we can savor the things we’ve been missing: time with friends and loved ones, activities in spaces we haven’t been able to visit, and a greater sense of serenity. 
            As we continue putting one foot forward, we might remind ourselves to tread wisely to keep the spring momentum moving forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes are from the archives, Lake Lagunitas Loop, a less than two mile walk featuring lovely wildflowers around one of the stunning Marin Watershed lakes.
            The long list of Hikes can be found on the Quick View Hike List and on the main Hikes page. All past Insights posts can also be viewed in the Insights/Hike Update News archives.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism.
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 15): Lake Lagunitas Loop

Folk Tale Meanderings
            Work projects, house projects, special needs son projects—these swirl in my head morning, noon and night. There’s little space to let my mind wander. Most people are dealing with a constant whirlwind of in-your-face issues, leaving little room for free roaming thoughts.
            When literally roaming along a trail, though, where a computer screen cannot claim my attention, brain space loosens up. My autistic son—busy at home rearranging every object in the house, typing a thousand miles a second to do YouTube and Google Map searches—also acts more focused and relaxed when we’re out walking in nature.
            Every outing destination has its own ambience, stirring memories and feelings from different times and places, even from old childhood stories.
            Having lived several years and married in Japan, I had time to absorb some classic Japanese folk tales. Every time I see rain fall while the sun is shining, the words “Kitsune no Yomeiri!” pop out of my mouth. “The Foxes’ Wedding” is a story with a highlight scene of rain falling during sunshine, and I cannot separate the actual phenomenon from the story.
            Countless times I’ve said to a trail companion, “This makes me think of Hansel and Gretel,” when an ominous yet enticing trail starts to darken and wind more narrowly. On a recent hike, vines and branches smothering an old shed, dashes of colored flowers highlighting the tangled plants, reminded me of the old woman in the Gingerbread House, luring unsuspecting children. We had a laugh and moved on to brighter stretches of trail.
            I don’t know where my autistic son’s mind wanders when we’re out walking. Maybe he just lets his mind go blank and tunes out the static and noise that seem to trigger him at home. I wish he could tell me, but for now he’s not able. The fact that he is more focused and calm is clear, though.
            May everyone enjoy allowing their minds to relax and wander by spending time meandering outdoors. It’s a wonderful gift from nature, and all it costs is a bit of time and energy to walk!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Burleigh Murray Ranch Trail, features historic old ranch structures, including not only a unique barn, but its own vine-covered outbuilding, adding spooky charm to a lovely walk in Half Moon Bay.
            The long list of Hikes can be found on the Quick View Hike List and on the main Hikes page. All past Insights posts can also be viewed in the Insights/Hike Update News archives.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Please feel free to share. Follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 128: Burleigh Murray Ranch Trail

Shine On
            In our autism world, it sometimes feels like we will never move forward. That we’ll never get beyond difficulties that are no fault of our own. That we’ll never break out of a loop of sensory, language and cognitive processing challenges.
            But we do move forward. Though progress often feels like watching grass grow, there are times when something snaps like a rubber band and years of struggle pop like a bubble.
            During pandemic restrictions, people mention how every day feels the same, that there’s no sense of moving forward or changing for the better. Welcome to our world.
            Yet we will make progress. We will advance to better things. Acknowledging even a hidden glimmer of hope is how we keep moving.
            The sun puts on a dramatic show at the end of every day, even if it’s hidden by clouds. Somewhere over the horizon, the sun is fighting its way through to shine uniquely, stunningly.
            A fierce streak of sun sparkling on water both stirs and calms our hearts, inspiring us to keep putting one foot forward, and to shine on in our own unique way.
            This week’s Hike Notes are from the archives, Rodeo Lagoon Loop – Marin Headlands, one of several HikingAutism hikes that include time at Rodeo Beach, a shining treasure in its own right, on a sunny day, a foggy day, or under a stunning sunset. (Also check out Hike notes for Battery Townsley, Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach, and Marin Headlands Visitor Center to Rodeo Beach.)
            The long list of Hikes can be found on the Quick View Hike List and on the main Hikes page. All past Insights posts can also be viewed in the Insights/Hike Update News archives.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism.
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 110): Rodeo Lagoon Loop – Marin Headlands