Additional commentary by Pat Postek, about her personal autism story, and how it has impacted her in writing "Six Tails" ...
After retiring and moving to the mountains of Colorado, I was ready to embrace the next chapter of my life and experience all the wonderful opportunities that lay before me. New friends. New experiences. New challenges.
The first few years brought about many new beginnings—including the birth of my grandchildren. Their birth was such a special time for me and our family.
Seeing my grandchildren for the first time was all it took to know that I wanted to be an integral part of their lives. I watched with pride as my own children loved and nurtured their precious little ones. Who would have thought...? I was ready to take on my new role as grandmother.
My grandchildren lived out of state, so I didn’t see them as often as I wanted. Every visit made me feel more and more like a stranger than a grandparent. Birthday and holiday visits were not enough to form that special bond that I longed for. The realization that I was never going to have that special connection with them made me sad. How were they ever going to know me? How was I going to share my grandmother wisdom with them? These thoughts kept playing over and over in my mind.
One day, while hiking with a new friend, I shared my struggles and frustrations of being a long-distance grandparent. I also shared the idea of writing a book as a possible solution to my problem, but quickly found excuses why that would not be a good idea. She, in turn, shared her story about an auto collision and her long, arduous journey back to health. She was grateful to be alive and decided to share her struggles, frustrations, and insights by writing a book to help others. Needless to say, she was instrumental in laying the foundation for another new beginning in my life—the writing of a children’s book.
The book took two years to write and while writing it, two of my three grandchildren were diagnosed with Autism. My children were afraid and frightened when they received the devastating news. They didn’t know what to do or where to turn. There wasn’t anyone to guide or direct them. They spent countless hours doing research to try and find the right therapy for their children only to be told that their insurance didn’t cover the therapy.
My children were willing to pay for the therapy themselves only to find out that there was a huge waiting list. They were exhausted, depressed, and frustrated, hoping that each option they tried might help. On and on the story goes…
When they discovered autism resources like Autism Speaks, they felt less alone. Yes, Autism has changed their lives forever, but Autism Speaks gave them hope.
A portion of the proceeds from the book, Six Tails, is donated to Autism Speaks in gratitude for all they do. Their goal is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders. Visit www.autismspeaks.org to learn more.
Pat Postek
April 2009
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