Rediscovering Me

I went to my 4th stress relief class yesterday (It's a study my husband and I are participating in that's looking at ways to reduce stress in parents to special needs kids). One of the things the teacher said was "We are more than our special needs kids." And I thought why in the world have I not heard or thought of this sooner. Everything I do is for my son. I feel like I have to live around him. I have to avoid things that set him off, I have to work really hard with him everyday to try to teach things other kids can do the 1st time they try, I have to explain things to others that don't understand about him, I have to go to lots of school meetings etc. That's all I have known the past couple of years. The world of autism has literally taken over my life. So, now I am on a mission to rediscover who I am. I'm more than a mom to a special needs little boy. I'm just not sure what more means yet. And I'm really not sure how to find out. But, I have to figure it out in order to be a more level headed, sane mother.