"I bought more candy-grams, Mom," Alec says with a big smile as we drive home from school just two days before Valentine's Day. "Alec, you already bought twelve candy-grams," I frown. "Do you really need more?" Alec's school was selling the candy-grams as a fundraiser for the holiday. For twenty-five cents you could send a single hard candy with a note of friendship. This particular … [Read more...]
A Special Kind of Love
I'll never forget the first time my son tried to sign "I love you." He is only two, but every night my husband and I crossed our arms over our chests like a hug to sign "I love you" to him. Then one night he did it back. Only a parent will ever know how sweet a moment like that can be. I'll never forget the first big hug or the first kiss he laid on my lips. The way that only he can show me love … [Read more...]
One Day at a Time
2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. One Day at a Time. Say it again. One Day at a Time. Say it slower. One- Day- at- a -Time. I think we all need to be reminded of this. As parents of children with unique needs our lives are filled with so … [Read more...]
How Much Does God Love You?
I play a game with my kids. When they are pouting or withdrawing from me or disappointed with me or think I’m disappointed with them, I hold up my thumb and index finger and say, “Do I love you this much?” They know the answer by now, but the first time, they looked at me, a little confused. I smiled and shook my head. Then I held my hands about six inches apart. “This much?” They had started to … [Read more...]
Fortune Cookie Theology for Parents
I love Chinese Food. Truly I do. White rice or fried rice, hot and sour soup or egg drop, General Tso's chicken or beef with broccoli—it all works for me! But my favorite part of the meal is (by far) at the very end. The fortune cookie. Oh, I know, lots of people think they taste like cardboard and just throw them out. But I can't wait to open one and see what it says inside. Sometimes the sayings … [Read more...]
Thick Glass
One of the realities of raising a neurologically disabled child is what I call “thick glass.” Thick glass is the clear yet mostly impenetrable divider between a parent’s unconditional love for his or her child and the child’s seeming total lack of response—that disheartening vacant look. Parents grieve behind thick glass, ever longing to touch their child’s heart yet wondering if their reach gets … [Read more...]