I got a big helping of that special needs Humble Pie last week. You may have been there yourself before. Maybe it was the public meltdown stares. Or people wondering with perturbed looks surrounding public restroom issues. Possibly, you've been in a special needs situation that has been a bit humbling. They come often. So often, in fact, I am pretty used to them. Special needs is humbling. But … [Read more...]
Stringing Others Along: Kantian or Christian?
Once, when our boys were young, I remember sitting at a table with my husband talking to a very wise Christian friend who was a School Psychologist. We were discussing how to encourage some positive improvements in our son's behavior. He pulled out a piece of string and put it on the table. "How can you move this string?" he asked. Then he showed us, "Well, if you push it, it will move forward—but … [Read more...]
The Dirty Job of Special Needs Parenting
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14, NIV) “Bloody noses are just a nuisance,” the hematologist proclaimed. I melted into tears and frustrated anger as we stood there in the exam room, sleep deprived and disheveled, lacking a desperately needed shower. “YOU live with this and see how much of a nuisance this is!” I cried … [Read more...]