We know the drill: "Parents! First put on your own oxygen mask! Before you attempt to assist your child with theirs!" So why is it so difficult to remember? Parents of children with Autism (or a similar challenge) usually exhaust themselves into emotional, physical and financial bankruptcy before they are willing to consider self care. Our marriages end or are in shambles, our children hate us, we have lost our homes or savings, our jobs are neglected, and our doctors...have never seen us before...and we are depressed, anxious, and have forgotten how to enjoy life. It is time to take care of ourselves first, or we will have no life at all. It will soon all fade to black, if we don't FIRST put on our own oxygen mask. When I got word of a parent's death, I was stunned. I thought of myself as one of her "supports". I hadn't seen her in a number of months. We used to be occassional "walking buddies." We had since moved to another to