Hi to all you awesome people in the world! 

I'm Jolanda from Germany who was lucky enough to have shared some very special weeks with Eve about 3 years ago. I am now 30 years old, living back in Germany working as a teacher. I love working with children, teaching them, learning from them. I also love playing volleyball and soaking up the sun in Southern parts of Europe.

When I first met Eve I was a little bit shy and thought I might not be the right person for this job. I had never worked with special kids and by nature I always tried to be normal, letting out my energy rather on the volleyball court than in kid’s playrooms. But here was the chance to try out something completely different, to learn what it’s like when a family member challenges you to go beyond what you used to do and getting closer to understand what it’s like when autism makes the world seem too much to handle with. Here was my chance to really support a cute little girl and learn something great for my personal and professional life!

How has working with Eve helped me? In so many ways, it would never fit in here…. Where do I start?? I learnt to let go. In training I started to separate my own attitude and feelings from the things around me. Eve crying at the door or screaming for something I could not understand didn’t have to make me uncomfortable. (it was just what I was telling myself about the situation that made it uncomfortable and judgments actually got in the way of what we both wanted) and the more comfortable and loving I was, the sooner we had a great time playing again. What an experience, control over my emotions and that way creating fruitful learning and game situations. When there’s a naughty boy or girl in my class now, I can smile the problem away and pull them on my side, get on with business. Learning comes with fun. 

And we did have fun in the playroom! How funny was it chasing each other, dancing, tickling, giggling, dressing up, singing fantasy songs, jumping, cuddling, catching eye contact, enforcing language use and of course drawing! We created beautiful paintings! From the outside you might think this is all nonsense, but there was so much peace in it. Eve showed me how to shut out the world.

I think I helped Eve by just accepting here the way she was, joining her in her way of dealing with the world and celebrating when she moved on a bit. Our celebrations of what I did see were great fun and full of love. With my passion for language and language learning I was especially proud when she used new words or combined the words. Most of all, I was lucky enough to experience how she went from having a very hard time in the room, trying to get out, to enjoying her play time with one us Son-Rise people. 

One of my favourite sessions with Eve was when we danced together, holding hands and we swung each other around. This was so special because Eve didn’t just look at me through the mirror – we were really close and experienced this moment together. This just so happened, I didn’t prepare or initiate this. So I guess Eve learnt how much fun she can have in joined activities and that I was up for anything pretty much. I learnt again to let go and let things happen. 

One more thing I am grateful I learnt was where I went beyond to what I was before was the deepest respect and curiosity for anything and anybody is so special!
Why should we all be the same? How could we all be the same? (As a Teacher now) When I work with special school children in my classes, I start to see where they are coming from and I can sort of imagine what the Asperger boy might be missing, why some kids act the way they do. My attitude, love and respect helps to turn potential 'negative situations' into something really cool and positive. It is just about “flipping the coin” as Eve’s Mum always used to tell me! 
So autism is a gift to me, as it makes me realise what matters in life and it gave me the power to choose the path of happiness and love no matter what situation you are in. My beloved husband and all other members of my family now get more of the respect and love because I simply choose 'respect and love' as my way of being with them.
If autism could teach these lessons to more people in the world, it might not solve all the problems, but the problems will be looked at in a different way!!!

So I would like to say thank you Eve, Kristy, Ian and all the others I could spend this awesome time of my life with. You guys are wonderful and I will always keep you in my heart, for you have definitely changed my life! 

Love, Josy