Master Mary and Baby B

Baby B was born today! Woooooooooo hooooooooooooooo! I am so happy, I can hardly stand it. Hannah Audrey is her name 🙂 Congratulations Bri and Sarah! For those who are out of the Berkowitz family tree loop, Bri is my brother, Sarah is my sister-in-law, and Hannah is my brand new niece!

It has been a very intense day. Master Mary Davis Cates died this morning. Master Mary was an amazing martial artist, the highest ranking member of Cuong Nhu outside of the founder’s family, a hero of mine and many many others, and most of all, a wonderful magical woman. It is a very sad day for very many people.

Very soon after receiving the news, me and K went to a meeting with a new hero of mine. She is a woman who works at a high school for kids with asperger’s and high functioning autism. She took time off to meet with me and K and provide us with resources of things that can help me to be able to work. She is the first person that I have met with who can help and who totally understands asperger’s. Just talking to her and listening to her was kind of mind blowing.

Hearing about options that kids have today that didn’t exist when I was younger makes me so happy. But it also gives me bad flashbacks to my own childhood because of the stark contrast of how different things are today. Opposite in many ways. I can’t even imagine what my life would have been like if… If so many things. I try not to think about it too much, but it is hard not to. Thanks to this woman and people like her, children of today and even more so, tomorrow, will not have to go through the hell that so many un/misdiagnosed aspies have lived through. or not lived through. I am very thankful that this woman is willing to help even though I am long past high school age. I hope there is something I will be able to do in return. She had mentioned that visiting the school might help some of the kids (and me). I would like that.

After leaving there, me and K went to take care of Maile (L’s cat). I had tried calling my whole family before we left, but coudn’t get in touch with any of them. Today was Sarah’s due date and I couldn’t stop thinking about Bri and Sarah and Baby B. I tried again after we left, and my folks were just leaving the hospital. Hannah had been born an hour earlier.

It is a day of giant contrasts. I lost a hero. I got a new hero. Master Mary died. Hannah Audrey was born. I am happy. I am sad.

1999 Cuong Nhu Training Camp – San Diego, CA
1999 Cuong Nhu Training Camp - San Diego, CA
Top: Master Mary, Sensei Allyson, Sensei Amy, Sensei Raimi
Bottom: Lavina, Annabelle, Anastasia, Lori

1 thought on “Master Mary and Baby B”

  1. Congratulations!

    Congratulations on becoming an aunt. May you help to spoil little Hannah Audrey as much as possible.

    And I am sorry you have lost your hero…

    As people become more aware of the “invisible handicaps” on the Spectrum, I think it is going to make for interesting times.

    Reply

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