Who Is Autistic Widower?

A little bit more about me

Today

I’m a widowed parent who lives alone in Northern England with my two children. (I’m also engaged — it’s a long story.)

I write on Medium and Blogspot as often as I can. I like sharing my life story with anyone who will listen. And maybe, just maybe, I might make enough money to get by.

The beach and sea at broadhaven. The sun is reflecting off the water on the left side of the image. The sky is blue with a little bit of white cloud.
Broadhaven, Wales — my last family holiday with my late wife in 2011. Photo taken by the author.

My Wife and Children

I was in my twenties before I had my first relationship. But it was worth the wait — we were just right for each other.

My wife’s love and friendship made such a difference to my life. She was also my best friend.

In 2010, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was truly devastating.

She died three years later, at just 45 years old.

Life without her has been very hard.

I’m so glad we had children together, but it’s also heartbreaking that they lost their mum when they were just 7 and 8.

Work

After leaving college at the age of 18, I spent 26 years doing electronic design and software development. When my wife’s health deteriorated in 2012, I quit my full-time job to look after her and our children.

After taking such a long break, I no longer feel able to go back to that kind of high-pressure work.

Part of the reason is that I feel out of touch.

But it’s more than that: I’m not sure that I have the energy to go back — I feel burned out. And maybe I want to head in a new direction.

Autism and ADHD

In 2017, a few years after losing my wife, I was assessed and told that I have an Autism Spectrum Condition. I was 48 years old at the time.

(I prefer to say I’m autistic, rather than saying that I have autism.)

A few years later, I self-diagnosed ADHD, and hope to get a formal diagnosis eventually.

I struggled all the way through primary school, high school, college and work, without realising that things shouldn’t have been so difficult.

I knew I felt different, but I didn’t know why. (And I had no support.)

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Find Out More

Many of my articles describe my life experiences.

My Articles, Grouped by Topic is an attempt to organise them.

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Thank You

I’m grateful for all the support and encouragement I receive from readers. It really means a lot to me. For more ways to support me, please see this page.

More external links are listed on Linktree:
linktr.ee/AutisticWidower

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This article may be updated from time to time.

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