It was a bitter cold winter. The viral rage was throwing pots of boiling water out the door so kids could watch it freeze mid-air. I was beginning to feel like we were back to our homeschooling years. Administrators had closed school so often. Even if you don’t live in the frigid North like I…
On New Year’s Eve, I sat cross-legged on my bed, staring at a blinking cursor and a blank screen. This is a kind of torture particular to writers, and I know it well. Grace ambled in with a book after lunch. It was a book we’d given her for Christmas, Infomaniac: Become an Expert in an…
I don’t know about you, but I have always found as a special needs parent, that all of the typical comments that come with a new year ring really hollow…all the wishes that are definitely well-meant, like… “May this be your best year ever…” “May this year bring good health and healing to you and…
I asked other special-needs moms what their New Year’s resolutions are. Here’s what they said. Potty training my son. Hearing my boys speak. Having hope. Decreasing my anxiety. Losing weight. Going back to school. Embracing my reality. Working out each day. Having more motivation. Getting a new job that pays more. Finding respite care. Praying…
Most of us clasp our hands around our airplane seat divider exposing our white knuckles trying to act like we’re really reading that book in our other hand and really comprehending it when the ride starts to get bumpy. But not for Joey. He loves the bumps! Sure, we’re doing just fine! But for Joey,…
You followed all of the advice. With tenderness and care, you purchased all of the tagless clothes and made the sensory-friendly accommodations. You examined all of the lists for the best Christmas toys for children with special needs. And you made dietary choices that would best suit your child’s restrictions. STILL your holidays aren’t as…
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…
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…