A SOAP STORY

   

 Elijah is an Autistic teenager. And those who know what Autism is, also knows that it’s a good and not so good  an experience. For if you talk honestly to a parent of a special need  child, you will certainly hear some heart wrenching raw experiences. But if the parent  is lucky enough to have identified and able to  foster special interests and abilities of their child, then certainly he or she  will have a great story to unfold revealing the magnificence of GODS grace in them,  that is what  I  discovered  in Elijah...which  filled my life with wonder, awe beauty and grandeur.

Although I can’t refuse or deny the presence of many flaws and the rotten aspects  of autism in her and  there have been numerous times when she has made me annoyed, frustrated irritated and defeated my courage, will and hope for a bright future  I dared to dream for her. My greatest weakness, ELIJAH is the only reason for me to be proud and happy about in life.  The way she fights and endures daily with whatever little or more God has sent her with to this chaotic  and competitive world keeps me inspired and helps me remain strong and courageous, making me a proud mother of an Imperfect daughter. 

 This blog is an address  and invitation to  all the Good hearts willing to help and guide her  to walk  with her  chin up, bold and proud to the end. It is said that " It takes a village to raise a child". This statement is more meaningful and true about an autistic child if not to any other. As parents we need the support from people  beyond the  medical and educational experts,  from the  fraternity of those  who earnestly try to understand the unique challenges of autistic children and to help them to grow and stand on their feet without fear and inhibition. Such people can uplift  the self esteem of these forgotten  souls by   giving them opportunities  for interaction, appreciation and employment avenues if they deserve. That will mean a lot to them and a little act of kindness and consideration can even change their lives

 "SOAPPPAE"... The Soap 

 This season of Pandemic retrogressed everybody’s life, so did ours. Elijah is a restless girl. She cannot sit idle, she doesn’t watch television, read books or doesn’t have any online class engagements. Now she can bake and cook  a few things, does craft, sculpturing and painting, but not enough to engross her for a whole day. Her brain needs newer and fresher stimulations and if not engaged, she keeps on  running inside our house making strange sounds quite enough to make us feel helpless and distressed reminding us our lives are certainly hindered by autism as it is for our beloved Elijah.

In an  attempt to keep her engaged we bumped into soap making. The only thing I did was to teach her the basics of soap making .To the astonishment of everyone, she learned it with unbelievable ease and got occupied with great interest and passion. Elijah began to make her own blend of fragrances and colours and her own versions of soap emerged in the run. Many a times I wonder what this fragrance is; for it is her own blend and I don’t know how to name it.

When our family started using it, gifting her soaps to friends and family  it  kindled her spirits and motivated her  to go forward. Now the boxes of soaps begin  to increase  in number and I am worried how to utilize them. A friend, another special need mom offered to sell her soaps, then her teacher, then another friend.. and they started to make repeated orders for her soaps.. and it continues.

 

These days Elijah wakes up very happily... and her first word is SOAPPEA...which in her language simply means soap.

What to expect from her soaps?

These soaps are exclusive creations of Elijah through measuring melting, mixing, blending , molding and packaging. Hence you can expect unique fragrances and hues. Elijah is very artistic, she loves painting for the sole reason that it allows her to play with colours. Looking at her paintings you will  feel that her drawings are imperfect but her impeccable colour sense cannot go without appreciation.  Her soaps also reveal her exquisite colour sense ... Pastels, Bright, Dark, Dull and a combination of it. These soaps have a different signature altogether … for each colour she matches with a fragrance of her blend.

If you are looking for a conventional kind of soap typically found in the market, it may disappoint you. But if you are open for something different like Elijah herself, it can be a sweet surprise as well.

 I don’t want to simply brag  about the marvels of  rainbows and sunshine on  Elijah’s Soap. I want to let you know that it’s an imperfect soap in the sense of shape and weight because it is a handmade soap. Eventhough  she makes it in the same mould, her little hand may waver at times making the end result of weight to vary in few grams. And sometimes you may find  tiny air pockects behind the soap. Because she like it to be perfect, if her mood is to modify she might attempt to scrap off the imperfections, leaving marks on it. But not on all of them.. Just  a few of the soaps have it.

But dears.. please keep in mind that Elijah is just a teenager whose motor skills have  not developed like many of your children. She had undergone various therapies to achieve what she has got  now. She does not make soaps with the intention of selling. She makes it out of her passion to satisfy her craving and urge to keep her brain occupied. Or else it’s nothing but chaos and it makes her miserable to sit idle causing trouble to others as well. Her soaps are simple and sincere expressions of her innocent heart, pure like her. And she has carved them with her soul!

You need not worry about the quality of the soap, since everything she adds into it, is only botanical extracts of herbs , flowers or fruits from garden or backyard and  our family including her toddler brother who is only 2.5years have been using it since she started making soaps.

Our friends, relatives, her teachers and many other acquaintances are all customers of Elijahs SOAPPPAE...

Anyways, since you have taken your time to read up to this sentence, I strongly believe  in your good intention and compassionate heart willing to support her. It doesn’t matter if you buy a soap from Elijah... but  that you intend to support a differently abled, autistic   girl to improvise her skill, to grow and mature into a professional and become self sufficient , eventually enabling to feed her own mouth without being a burden to society in future.

 I am grateful that you care for an Autistic girl, dare to hold her in your hearts with all good wishes. That you tender to hold her in your own way as she take steps to walk ahead with great awe and aspiration.

If at all you buy a soap from her, when you open it, just bless her so that she may succeed in her struggle to exist in this bogus world that mocks her disorder and scuffle.

Thank You for your support, kindness and goodwill to bolster a differently abled girl to stand on her feet someday in future.

GOD BLESS YOU.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ELIJAH'S SOPPAE...SENT A NOTE ON THIS WHATSAPP NUMBER..9567450508