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It was a happy kind of chaos when I photographed the Sabay family yesterday. I have two more families to photograph to complete the special family session giveaway.

I was supposed to photograph them last year, but something came up. It didn’t happen! This year though I made sure and made time to meet all of them. I see them during parties. A brief hi and hello, but yesterday I had the chance to join the chaos. The good kind! Imagine having five kids? It must be pretty hectic and crazy, but it’s the kind that one can’t trade with anything else in the world.

Their only boy was diagnosed with autism. Others would say he or she is in the spectrum. It is so broad that it’s hard to categorize. Others would use words like Aspergers or high functioning autism. There are also parents who use mild and severe and somewhere in between. Just like my Fin, he looks like any other boy. But any child and family in the spectrum have a fair share of challenges. Whatever you want to call it — in the spectrum or autism or autistic! We are where we are! 

So please be more considerate!

If you see a child crying his heart out, lying on the floor, screaming! When you see a mother just watching over the child making sure he won’t hurt himself, don’t stare! WE JUST NEED A MOMENT! When he is regulated again, it will stop and it will be fine. But what’s not fine is when I hear others say and ask — what’s wrong with the parents? Can’t they control their child? Don’t judge! You wouldn’t want to be in our shoes.

My Fin will have his quirks! He will have a new set of challenges as he conquers the rest. We will make each day count. Each tantrum and difficulty dealt lovingly. I don’t see him any less because he is in the spectrum. In fact, he is extra special.

Thank you Sabay family! I had so much fun.