Christmas 🎄
Christmas has always been a season of light—twinkling trees, glowing windows, and the quiet, comforting warmth that comes from being surrounded by the people we love most. For our family, Christmas is a time to pause, breathe in the magic of the season, and reflect on the moments that truly matter.
But as we’ve grown, so has our understanding of what it means to “shine bright.”
This year, we’re celebrating something even more meaningful: neurodiversity.
We’re honouring the unique, colourful, brilliant way our child experiences the world—and how that perspective has changed our lives for the better.
Christmas Through a Different Lens
Living with a child with autism means we often experience the world differently—and Christmas is no exception. The season brings excitement, but it can also bring sensory overload, unpredictable routines, and moments that challenge the traditional picture-perfect holiday scene.
And yet, within those differences, we’ve discovered a deeper kind of beauty.
A slower pace.
A clearer focus on what truly matters.
A joy that is uniquely, wonderfully ours.
Celebrating Neurodiversity
Our child shines in ways that have taught us more about empathy, creativity, and resilience than we ever imagined. Autism is not something we want to hide—it’s something we honour. It’s part of who they are, and it colours the world in ways that are thoughtful, surprising, and often incredibly beautiful.
Neurodiversity is a celebration of the many ways minds can work.
It invites us to see the world with curiosity instead of assumptions.
It reminds us that differences don’t dim the light—they add new colours to it.
This Christmas, we want to embrace and amplify that message.
Because when we talk about “shining bright,” we’re talking about embracing the fullness of who each of us is—our strengths, our quirks, our challenges, and all the things that make us irreplaceable.
Shine Bright for Autism
By taking part in Shine Bright for Autism, we hope to spread awareness, acceptance, and love—not just for our child, but for every individual and family navigating the autism spectrum.
We want the world to understand that autism is not something to fear or “fix.”
It’s a vibrant and essential part of the human spectrum.
And like Christmas lights, each person shines in their own way.
Our Wish This Year
Our Christmas wish is simple:
That more people recognise the beauty in neurodiversity.
That more children feel seen, understood, and celebrated for who they are.
And that more families feel proud to share their journey—because every story, like every light, adds warmth to the world.
So this year, as we decorate our home and gather as a family, we’ll be celebrating both our love for Christmas and our love for a little boy whose unique light has changed our world forever.
And we hope you’ll join us in shining bright too.
I’m shining bright for autism
This Christmas, I’m shining bright for the estimated 1 in 40 Australians on the autism spectrum.
Join me in celebrating the magic of giving and donate to my Shine for Autism fundraiser today!
People on the autism spectrum see, hear, feel and experience the world differently, and their unique perspectives bring creativity, insight and depth to our communities.
By coming together and lending our support, we can help provide opportunities for people on the autism spectrum to participate, engage and thrive in the world around them.
Let's come together, one light at a time, and make this festive season truly special.
