You Just Have to Love Me: A Mother's Caregiving Journey

Heidi Rome, is a speaker, advocate, mentor, perspective re-framer, and mother of two sons, one with severe autism. Author of You Just Have to Love Me, she understands how to overcome overwhelm, as every step of her journey requires changing the narrative. As founder of Moms Spectrum Oasis, Heidi builds awareness and the humanhood issues around what true inclusion and loving kindness actually mean. 

In this episode, Heidi touches on the realities of being in a life-long caregiving situation for her son who has severe autism. She emphasizes the importance of creating supportive and safe communities for those with severe autism. She speaks about feelings of grief, and how she had such a sense of relief when she was given the message from her son, Ethan, that she didn’t have to fix him - she just had to love him, and how this led her to explore what love really means. 

Heidi's observations translate into other lessons as well such as the "Win/When Skillsets" and her two questions that love asks that provide a gentle yet effective approach for those who may not know how to help in a given situation. By using these questions: "how can I be of service?" and "what is needed?" all of us can step-up and be of service.   By choosing love instead of fear, Heidi reminds us that by using compassion and curiosity we can become part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Heidi shares so many lessons and insights in the episode that are applicable to those of us who are caregivers, teachers, therapists, friends, or anyone who works with or interacts with vulnerable individuals. 

If you’d like Heidi to speak to your community, she is available for speaking engagements and can be reached through her website.