Katie R. Hurst

Tomorrow I take my daughter in for the beginning of mental health assessments. We suspect autism with more complexity to it. It is one more diagnosis behind her name. One more thing to add to an IEP, to discuss. You know what? I am irrationally angry. I am.  And I think too often we hide this part from the world. We show you the end result once we feel better. Once we can present a better picture, then we tell the story. Today, I'm telling you the story from this place of numbness and anger.  It is okay to be angry. Moms, Dads, siblings....this is okay.  I am angry. I hate that the world will hear these terms and feel even more of a distance between her and them. I hate that the world is so dang discriminatory. I hate that mental illness feels like the bottom of the swamp.  I am angry that I have these biased thoughts in my heart. I thought I was better than that. I hate this numbness that accompanies this anger.  And most of all I hate th