Not this time I can hear it in stereo. One side of the sky is cracking, snapping under the pressure of changing temperatures. And now it comes from the other side, fighting for territory, growling and groaning and barking. I run to shut Max’s window, but I can’t get close enough. The yard outside becomes brilliant white, lit up as if the paparazzi have finally found us. Raindrops turn hard … [Read more...]
When a Doctor Asked Max’s Caregiver, “Don’t You Want a Life?”
We walked into the office together and Max plunked down in his usual chair. Max couldn’t wait to get through the “talking part” of the doctor’s appointment so that he could play with my iPhone. I introduced the doctor to Kacey who had joined us to help with Max during the appointment. Kacey is 23 years old, and a gifted teacher. And let’s just say that if Kacey had been born in another era, you … [Read more...]
Father’s Love
We walked into the sanctuary as late as possible, a subliminal effort to miss the day all together. There weren’t any other women there, of course. This was a men’s event, a father and son “bonding” day at our church. And I am neither a father, nor a son. I wondered if I should have slapped on a fake mustache and plaid shirt to help hide the sometimes-awkward truth that I am a single mother. And … [Read more...]
Count Down
I’ve been afraid of this moment for approximately one fifth of my life. That’s about the same amount of time it would take for me to travel to the moon and back…if I were to travel by rickshaw. The thought that my beautiful son Max would one day graduate from his special needs school, and end up floating around in the big wide world without a tether, was more than I could bear. What would he do? … [Read more...]