Who gives a s#&t?

I had an experience with Cole a few days ago that I knew would happen one day... he got teased. Didn't we all get teased at sometime in our childhood? I remember riding my bike when I was about ten and a boy in the neighborhood ran up behind me and whipped a handful of those spiky stickers into my back. It hurt like heck and all I could do was pedal faster. This is where my big brother and his friends came in handy... they marched over and told the boy they would dig a hole and bury his head in the dirt if he came near me again. Needless to say, the boy stayed clear of me from that point on. I have to admit, there are times I wish Cole had an older sibling who could look out for him and explain things to kids who are around Cole's age. It's not my place to and Connor is too young to be chatting with 4th graders about life with his Autistic brother.

It was a beautiful fall day, one of the many we've had this September. Cole wanted to mow the grass and I chose to sit on the front step and watch. Cole was in his glory. He was mowing back and forth, laughing, smiling and doing his "I'm excited" hand gestures. I heard a group of kids coming up the block. It was a group of boys from the neighborhood who were maybe a year or two older than Cole. I saw one of the boys whisper something to one of the other kids while looking at Cole, and then they burst out laughing. My heart just sank. I'm not certain of what was said, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a compliment.

What happened next has been on my mind for a week. I immediately looked at Cole, who was oblivious to the situation. He had a huge grin on his face, he waved at me and said, "Hi Mom". He didn't look up at the kids and just kept mowing. He had no clue what occurred and most importantly, he could have cared less. I thought, you know... that isn't a bad way to go through life. Honestly not giving a s#&t what other people think. How wonderful is that?

How many people can truly say they don't give a rats a## what other people think of them? Think of how many times in your life you've been stressed, worried, scared, embarrassed, insecure, hurt or picked on.

Is Greg going to like my outfit? Why did Debbie decide to go ask Sarah to the movie and not me? Why was Alex picking on me at the bus? Were people at the lunch table staring at me? What are people going to think of my presentation? If I could just lose 15 pounds. I wish I had as many friends as Kyle does. What are people going to think of my new hair color? Why did I say that to my boss? I'm not good at sports. My house is never clean enough.

We've all been there and chances we are there every day, maybe multiple times a day. We are so busy worrying about what everyone else thinks of us, that we lose sight of what is really important. We cause undue stress and anxiety to ourselves. We are so hard on ourselves.

Cole probably won't have much of that in his life. His brain isn't wired to think that way. He lives for himself and isn't caught up in how well he can throw a football or what type of shoes he wears. He's just Cole, take it or leave it. He could give a s#&t when kids ride by on their bikes and make fun of him. He's got bigger fish to fry (and lawns to mow). Think of how much stress he's saving himself.

I think we could all learn from Cole. He's 100% comfortable in who he is. He doesn't know any better and frankly, doesn't need to. He's perfect just the way he is. He loves his family and HIMSELF unconditionally. I can't stop thinking about it, as I think that is one of the most beautiful and profound things he's taught me.

Think about this. Think something positive about yourself. Don't worry if the neighbors get a new car and you can't afford one. Who cares if you got tongue tied on the conference call? Does it really matter if your daughter isn't the best skater on the ice? So what if your jeans are a little tight this fall. If we could all just be confident and comfortable with who we are, life would be much more pleasant. After all, while you're worried about what people think of you, they are probably too busy worrying about what everyone else thinks of them... so in the end, who gives a S#&t?