Blurred Reflections

Blurred Reflections
            Parents of special needs children sometimes feel like they’re interpreting the world through a wobbly funhouse mirror. Attempting to raise a child with exceptional challenges following guidelines that work for “typically developing” kids leads to frustration and heartache. (And those of us with “typically developing” kids know that no child develops in a uniform pattern.)
            Like images on a wind-rippled pond, though we can identify sky, clouds and trees, the unpredictable distortion of the reflection due to wind, rain or falling debris makes everything feel tenuous.
            Helping a child who learns differently navigate the world means walking on unsteady ground. Despite decades of autism research, it feels like the harsh reality of the condition hasn’t changed much in the twenty years since our son was diagnosed. 
            Years of helping our son function in a world his brain isn’t wired for have been like trying to stabilize the rippling pond reflection. Things are always changing, and just when a branch or cloud comes into focus, the image changes again. Despite the struggles, there is beauty in that ever changing reflection.
            This time of pandemic when information changes minute by minute feels similar. Just when we think a solid scientific reality is coming into focus, an element of unpredictability ripples the reflection. Our path forward is muddled, but we soldier on based on the best data we have at the time.
            This week’s Hike Notes are from the archives, Bison, Fly Fishing and Horses – Golden Gate Park. The photo for this Insights post is from a shelter-in-place neighborhood walk to Anglers Lodge and Casting Pools near the bison paddock in San Francisco’s Golden Gate 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.
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 80): Bison, Fly Fishing and Horses – Golden Gate Park