It’s tough to get beyond the fear and negativity that the world throws us each day. At times, it seems relentless. When you add in the commercial pressures and the loneliness that the Christmas season often brings, it can be even tougher to see any abundance in our lives let alone be thankful. Every one of us get caught up in the busy-ness and urgency of the day and, little by little, can lose … [Read more...]
Hope at 3am
Dear friend, I started to write you a charming little story and was halfway through...when Tuesday night hit. Let me just say that most of our days and nights are good. Not easy, but good. For the past two months, however, Tuesday nights have been different. It’s as if autism grabs hold of our lives like a 1950’s sci-fi flick, the one with the pretty little plant that … [Read more...]
Obsessive-Compulsive Deliverer
We tend to think of OCD, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, as a bad thing. But I'm choosing to remember that I have an Obsessive-Compulsive Deliverer to see me through it. Yes, in its extreme form, OCD is not easy. It can affect so many different areas of life and people in different ways. Many people think they have OCD. There are so many jokes about it. I get it. I know there are varying … [Read more...]
Max’s Two Words about Autism
“Max!” I said with the kind of enthusiasm I hoped would be contagious, “We are going to like this new doctor. He has a daughter with autism!” I tried to mask my own nerves, wondering how we would get through the next-day’s appointment in the city. I watched Max for a reaction as he bounced in his seat and started eating his dinner in a style reminiscent of a wood-chipper. Sometimes dinner in … [Read more...]
She Calls Me Mama
She calls me what her brothers don’t. Because they are boys, most likely, or perhaps because they are impatient and "MOM!" hollered from somewhere else is easier to get out of their mouths. Loudly. Grace is walking up the stairs, calling my name before she reaches the top. But it’s not the “Mom!” of Noah’s tween insistence. It’s her calling, “Mama?” It is sweet and gentle. And it lasts only … [Read more...]
Who I Want To Be …
When you were a child who did you want to be when you grew up? A princess? A fireman? An ice skater? The President? We tell our kids to dream big. They can become whatever they want. I've always encouraged my kids to be doctors, lawyers or The President. But I am done with that. Who I want to be when I grow up ... I want to be Evan. This world is filled with greedy liars, cheaters, … [Read more...]