Category: Blog
Sweating the small stuff
Have you ever considered the grueling job of a package delivering UPS worker? I hadn’t. Not until I read about UPS Bootcamp, an intense training that newly hired delivery workers complete before they...
The insidious pressure of “fun”
Confession: Some days I exhaust myself worrying about fun. Not for Jack’s sibling, who’s typically developing. Boredom sparks growth and creativity, after all. I’m not a concierge. My role as...
Expectations versus Reality
When Mike and I came to get him, he was snoring peacefully in the sensory room adjacent to the dance floor, his aide a watchful distance nearby. We learned he...
Please don’t tell me “Everything happens for a reason”
No matter where you are on your special needs journey, one thing is guaranteed: you will hear “everything happens for a reason” regarding your child. (Going forward, I christen this...
A Caregiver’s Challenge
Last week my favorite jeans didn’t fit. They were too tight. And no, despite my best attempt at self-deception, the dryer didn’t shrink them. A step on the scale verified...
Confronting the future with sweaty palms
Recently I attended a special needs parenting conference to prepare for my son’s transition to adulthood. Although Jack is only 15, and legally entitled to 6 more years of schooling,...
Declutter Your Life Without Tossing a Thing
Our culture conditions us from birth to be busy, active people-pleasers. We all have the opportunity to take less on and say no but we often don’t. Why? Because as...
Anatomy of a Medical Crisis
It always starts out as an average, boring day, doesn’t it? I was home alone with my nonverbal son Jack. I flopped on the couch downstairs, settling into a Netflix...
The Battle Between Control and Acceptance
Mike and I love to problem solve. We continually evaluate our days and tweak here and there in an attempt to make things better. We keep a backpack fully loaded...
Free Soloing the Mountain of Caregiving
Mike has been away this week, so I’m holding down the fort, taking care of our 2 teenagers, one of whom has special needs. The timing is unfortunate because my...