I have to have the summer off. Not for selfish reasons, or for the fact that it’s so nice out- and I want to be at the beach. It’s much deeper than that. My daughter is autistic. Pure and simple (which makes me laugh out loud- because nothing could be more complex.)….she needs me. Is it good for her to be with a sitter? Yes. It is good for me to be out of the house? Yes. The problem is… I can barely make enough money to cover her care- and the care for my son during the summer. And, she needs me. No one understands the complexities of her- except for me. I want to be there, to help her through the most difficult times (sometimes it’s the passing of a thunderstorm in her world). I give her confidence that life will be ok.