Originally posted March 31st 2021
https://x.com/HJ_Ellis/status/1377290733800001542
Day Three of talking about #AutisticJoy for #WorldAutismAwarenessWeek! 
I didn't really finish yesterday's thoughts on Disney and its various attached works but it was all the starting to role into todays topic of FAMILY anyway!
I didn't really finish yesterday's thoughts on Disney and its various attached works but it was all the starting to role into todays topic of FAMILY anyway!
I know I'm very lucky that I have family who support me unwaveringly, there were some tricky times in the past (teenage me I'm looking at you!) but we've found ways to make our various relationships work and I'm so much stronger & happier because of, and with them #AutisticJoy
My brother is a huge source of my #AutisticJoy because he knows just the right topics to engage me with at the right times generally (sometimes it goes wrong but that's just life!) We have our own shorthand, references we use that others don't get and a shared love of many things
Our biggest shared love currently is board games! We regularly play each other via video call especially Disney's/Marvel's Villainous and Pandemic. Eventually when we can be in the same room again it'll be hours of Exploding Kittens, Unstable Unicorns and King of Tokyo as well!
We also find our shared loves can cross over occasionally - him playing the "Ruffians" card as Ratigan in a Villainous game will lead to me singing Hercules Mulligan's verse in Yorktown (World Turned Upside Down) from Hamilton! 
#ChainReaction #AutisticJoy
#ChainReaction #AutisticJoy 
Our phone calls (with certain people I love the telephone!) sometimes last over 2 hours because we've got on to a topic we love (like trying to predict the next big MCU plot) or its descended to a "quote off" battle from our various favourite fandoms! #AutisticJoy
Its been a hard year not being able to see my brother as much as I normally would but it has made me appreciate the few days we've had so much more. And I am extremely grateful that we had started playing Villainous prior to the pandemic so we could adapt to video call playing!
We even tried getting our sister involved in our game video calls but as she works for the NHS her work hours aren't as predictable as our 9-5(ish) Monday to Friday jobs. We did manage a couple of times (my birthday was one) but I think we mostly confused her!
My sister is a real source of strength for me, her job as a midwife is super tough at times & the things she's had to cope with are beyond what I could manage at work. I'm so proud of her and get a lot of #AutisticJoy from having seen her grow to become such an amazing person 
And sometimes with family its the little things that bring me joy - like my daily call with my dad where he cynically updates me on what the world has been doing while I was working and we have a mutual moan about all things politics and sport related!
Or the Scrabble games I play with my grandparents on Sundays, crying with laughter at my Grandad making up words that he has only half the letters needed for anyway!
But without a doubt the best #AutisticJoy comes from our Christmases together 
Its generally chaos and mayhem but it works for us! And we've even worked out plan that allows me to have a nap after dinner so I don't get overloaded *and* get to avoid the loud card game antics!
Its Spring now so I'm not going to go into much detail about why Christmas brings me so much #AutisticJoy but the combination of traditions, pleasant sensory input, family time and the soft joy of faith all combine to make December are really wonderful time of the year for me
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