- Written by Colleen Swindoll Thompson One of the first questions my children asked was, “Why?” It came at unwanted bedtimes, unexpected mealtimes, undesired moments of discipline, and unforgettable experiences of sacrifice and forgiveness. A wonderful innocence surrounds the question of “Why?” I don’t think we ever outgrow that basic question… at least, we don’t until we settle one of life’s … [Read more...]
The Greatest Therapy
When Alec was first diagnosed, I became obsessed with finding out everything I could about autism. I researched every autism theory, every therapy and spent every waking minute on the phone or online with other parents trying to create the best possible plan for Alec’s care. If someone told me that they were providing their child with a therapy that Matt and I could not afford, I was desperate … [Read more...]
Sonic Boom!
"Want to go to Sonic, Mom?" Sounds like an innocuous enough question don't you think? But at our house, it has a deeper meaning. The question is usually asked as we're driving by the local Sonic on our way to some activity. And it's always asked by my younger son, Tim, with a wry smile and a glint in his eye. The Sonic Boom episode happened on one of our (many) trips back from Maine. Almost home … [Read more...]
What You Do Today Matters
His voice was a whisper, “What’s up? ” “Not much dude, why are you whispering?” I whispered back. In a guilty voice, the 35-year old father explained to me that he was calling from a closet. He was hiding from his five-year-old son, who was hunting for his favorite Sesame Street DVD. His son, on the autism spectrum, had a tendency to play the same small video segment over…and over…and … [Read more...]
Feeling Groovy
Yes, I was born in the sixties. I was in first grade (1966) when Simon and Garfunkel's hit "Feeling Groovy" arrived in record stores on their Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme album. Little did I know how appropriate those words "feeling groovy" would be to my life nearly 50 years later. Not because I'm skipping around my back yard picking poppies and wearing organic cotton tunics (smile)… but … [Read more...]
How to Fight Discouragement
Matt and I sat on the sofa looking grim. It was another hard night for my husband and me. We were anxious about our cash flow, with many bills looming and new work projects disappearing from our collective professional horizons. Just one more wave of financial stress for our family, and the waves had been crashing around us since 2008. There were so many things that our family needed, and we … [Read more...]