It was one of those “ah-ha” moments. Three years ago, if someone told me my son would one day drive an 18-hour trip to South Georgia, I would have laughed. Or cried. Or told you very politely to jump in a lake. (Preferably, a very deep one.) Driving lessons were not going well. But just celebrating his 20th birthday, my son (who exhibits typical traits of ASD like anxiety and hyper-focus) is … [Read more...]
Are We There Yet?
As soon as I entered the room I knew something was wrong. All eyes around the conference table turned to me as the principal asked, “Mrs. Anderson, where have you been? Our meeting was supposed to have started half an hour ago.” I was dumbfounded. Really? 30 minutes? Because I had been waiting for them the past half hour in the front office! (All the while, a very confused secretary had … [Read more...]
Revisiting Grief
So, you’re going along with life, enjoying the “normal” that we all sometimes crave, and suddenly it bites you in the rear. Grief. That sorrow for things passed, melancholy caused by an empty space in your heart. True, we all face that mourning when we first realize something is wrong, or our child is first diagnosed, or when an injury changes our child’s life forever. In those times of … [Read more...]
Give It a Rest
“It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” (Ps 127:2) I was stumped. I wondered if Solomon, for all his wisdom, might have benefited from my ADHD meds for better focus. The various ideas in Psalm 127 seemed too random and disjointed to be together. Finally, I cried uncle, and turned to … [Read more...]
It Is Written
Yesterday was a very bad day. And it had very little to do with it being overcast, cold and wet. (Although that didn’t help.) It had to do with several phone calls that resulted in having to bring home my oldest son after an alarming conversation he’d had with the school social worker, followed by another 20-minute phone call from another teacher reporting a bullying incident she witnessed … [Read more...]
The Spiritual Art of Raising Children with Disabilities
I am so excited to share my new book, The Spiritual Art of Raising Children with Disabilities with you! Here is an excerpt from the Introduction, to give you an idea of what it's all about. It was written for you, dear reader! Henri Nouwen is one of the great spiritual teachers of my life. I never met him in person, but I knew him intimately through his books on the spiritual life and his … [Read more...]