In life, I am learning continuously that it is always important to always be my best self. Not doing so only sets me up to be more volatile and in danger of reacting negatively in a way that is not who I am or that I would want to have others see me as. I know I can be the best person that I can be if I can take care of myself.

Part of living independently is being a responsible person. That includes caring for myself and taking my medication, which is a big part of what helps me stay well. Over the past six years, I have seen most of a detrimental effect of what happens if I do not take my medication. It makes me more prone to be the person that others do not want me to be and puts me in a continuous teetering position with a dangerous situation where I could get into trouble when there is no reason to be.

There are also times when I may not agree with things that are expected of me to do because it is what is expected as being a child of two amazing parents who have always went beyond for me. My parents have been there for me at my worst and when they ask me to do things, it is not to make my life miserable, instead it is because they need me to be supportive and helpful to them.

There are times when I want to be selfish and only think of myself because it is more comfortable than the other things that are asked of me by my parents. I know it may be hard for me to do what my parents ask me to do, but they would not ask me unless they really need me to. Therefore, it is important to always put their needs and work to be my best self even though it may be something that I find irritating or a waste of time for me.

However, there will come a time when they will no longer be able to be there for me or help me in the way that they want me to. They would always want me to be the best person that I could be because that has been what they have taught me early on. And even though I may want to be selfish and not care about them for other odious reasons, that is not being the respectful son that they raised me to be or what they should expect of me.

It can be hard to be an adult and do things that we may not enjoy or not find interesting, but there is a point when it means more to others that as autistic people that we fought through our challenging moments, been the better person and did what we needed to do to be there for those that have loved us the most.

I know that it can be easy to brush off the times when we are asked to be there for someone, but it can also be hurtful when we do not because they need our help. It is important to always be your best self and get through those challenges then have time to reflect later by taking whatever time you need for yourself but be the best person that you can be when others need things of you.