It feels like we’ve been here before. The meltdowns, medicines, medical issues, doctor appointments; they are starting again. It’s a familiar sinking feeling I get in my head and gut. This time, at least I know some of the warning signs of the coming storm. I see the look in my son’s eyes; a shaking…
Over the summer, we were hit with a triple whammy. Over the course of just a couple of days, we got three letters, one after another. Each one was a punch in the gut, increasing in intensity each time. First, the SSI benefit Sam had been receiving that was our only available option to pay…
Posted by Sarah Anderson | Dec 23, 2014 | I already consider this Christmas a win for our family. Our boys were able to visit Santa, and sit on his lap, shedding exactly zero tears. Total success. I could stand back and simply observe as my boys so effortlessly experienced the wonder of the season….
A grace culture will never exist when we are unwilling to go the extra mile to extend grace without judgment. When someone is not like us, it is so hard to get past the differences and find the grace and love that needs to be conveyed to bring hope and healing. Today, because of the…
I was already on a spiritual journey, but engaging this process with my son and ASD has me on another level!” – Monica, mom of an 8 year old boy diagnosed with autism. The Blissfulness of Same Autism means dealing with lots of the same thing, over and over, and over again, often mixed with…
Instagram lies. Well, at least I’m sure it does at some point over Christmas. When I see people posting pictures of how wonderful setting up the tree is and how magical the decorating was (okay, okay, I’ve done this…I’m guilty), it reminds me how often that process has not been an Instagrammable moment for me…
Do you know why it’s hard to teach your kids perseverance? Because the rest of the world is built around instantly fulfilling their every need. Do you remember Blockbuster Video? You had absolutely no guarantee they would have the movie you wanted to rent. It was very likely that some other punk in your town…
Teaching our kids to say “thank you” is important, but truly instilling a sense of gratitude in them is another matter entirely. Gratitude goes beyond good manners — it’s a mindset and a lifestyle. A recent Wall Street Journal article about raising kids with gratitude acknowledged a growing interest in the area of gratitude in…
Are you scrounging for thankfulness this Thanksgiving? Holidays can be a challenge for those walking through hard days. Perhaps you feel like you’ve been handed the short-end of the stick; your child is struggling, you’re exhausted and it seems like everybody else has life with a bit more gravy.It’s easy to focus on our circumstances,…
We’ve just moved. We planned it such, that my sister Sue would care for our Joey (son with special needs who is age 35) for a long weekend so we could get his room set up. This would allow us to prepare ahead of time for those bumps in the road that happen when BIG…