Life can present many detours, and I have had my share for sure! My youngest child of four, Jason, is 28 years old and has severe Autism. That was a detour in the 1990s that took our lives into a whole new direction. Now, California day activity centers for adults with disabilities are not open for individuals like my son. Being non-verbal and challenged by certain behaviors, Jason is not at a level of functionality that meets the new, post COVID, criteria. This means that he needs supervision at home, and I am the logical person to fulfill that need.

At 62 years old I am eligible for early retirement. Granted, I don’t have a big nest egg, so social security and subsidized health care will be a good start. I will also be able to receive funding as my son’s caretaker because I’ve been forced to quit my job due to lack of available programs for Jason. Financially, for now anyway, we are safe.

As a working adult, I’ve always looked forward to this day, to retire from the 9 to 5 clock in job, and enjoy the freedom to do what I want. As a mom, I’ve envisioned the time when I would be able to be home with my son and provide his daily enrichment. Here we are.

This, of course, brings me all the extra time I’ve longed for to engage daily in my creative endeavors. All is well and in order, and so it is.