Hopko’s 30th maxim advises us to ‘Be cheerful’. But this does not imply appearing permanently happy or imitating a neurotypical social vibe. For autistic Orthodox Christians, cheerfulness may be closer to quiet trust than to visible exuberance: a small, steady ‘yes’ to God that can coexist with anxiety, shutdown, or low mood. It may look like a gentle tone rather than a sharp one; a small smile or nod when you greet someone; a willingness to notice and name good things; or simply refusing to let bitterness become your default inner narrative. You can pray for this kind of cheerfulness as a grace – ‘Lord, give me a kind and uncomplaining spirit’ – rather than trying to manufacture it as a performance.
Because autistic communication and affect are often misread (‘flat’, ‘rude’, ‘too much’), this maxim should not be equated with masking or pretending to be fine. Real autistic cheerfulness might look like: keeping a short list of things that genuinely delight you (light, trees, certain colours, a favourite hymn, a science fiction series, photography) and deliberately giving thanks for one or two of them each day; choosing not to narrate every situation in catastrophizing language, even when anxious; or learning one or two simple, repeatable phrases of encouragement you can offer others without draining your social battery. On very hard days, ‘being cheerful’ may shrink to one or two small refusals: not snapping at someone when you easily could, not posting that angry comment, or quietly telling Christ, ‘I feel awful, but I still belong to You’.
This maxim becomes most healing when it is anchored in the previous ones: facing reality, being grateful, being faithful in little things. For an autistic person, that might mean accepting that you may never look outwardly ‘bubbly’ and that your version of cheerfulness may be calm, slightly awkward, gently humorous, or very low‑key – and that this is entirely acceptable to God. It can also mean allowing yourself to receive cheerfulness from others and from the Church’s worship: the brightness of feast days, the joy in Paschal hymns, the relief of a friend who understands your special interest. Lived this way, ‘Be cheerful’ is not a demand to overwrite your real emotions; it is an invitation to let a quiet, stubborn hope in Christ colour even an overstimulating, confusing day with a small but real light.
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