A friend asked me how my family was doing. I said all was status quo, nothing exciting, no ups, no downs. We haven't had any bad days or really exciting things to report. Today was just ... today. Sounds kind of boring to the outsider. But actually, we have so much joy in the mundane. There was a time you would find us at the soccer fields with one of our boys. Occasionally, it could feel like … [Read more...]
When Our Children with Disabilities Rise to the Occasion
(For Dana) T.S. Eliot wrote that April is the “cruellest month.” Not for me. I find it’s barren February, with its unkind cold, and in which month I have known too many men of character who have died recently, and long past. At 6’7” with a perpetual mustache, bright blue eyes, and a voice like a thunderclap, Boyd Salsbury cut an imposing profile. His demeanor was gruff, his words carefully … [Read more...]
Picture This
When something heartbreaking happens in our life we may start to experience some shame. Especially if we thought we could have done something to prevent it from happening. Whether you are a new special needs parent or you’ve been on the journey a while shame always loves to come knocking. The enemy loves to build a wall of shame and put our pictures on it. Every time we see that wall, he wants to … [Read more...]
The Valentine Letter
No chocolates, no flowers, not even a card. I know you say to yourself “That’s OK, what I really wanted was a nap anyway.” But you didn’t get that either. The dishes still lay untouched in the sink. The baskets of unfolded clothes are stacked on top of each other like planes circling the airport. Another bill lies unopened on the kitchen counter. You don’t even want to open it tonight … [Read more...]
I Can Teach You How to Fly!
Standing at the opening of the labyrinth on the grounds of Mt. Olivet Retreat Center, I stretch my arms outward. “Come, Holy Spirit. Show me what to write this week.” A flash in the sky draws my eyes upward. Just above me, riding a wind current, soars a Cooper’s hawk. The words come, unbidden: “I can teach you how to fly.” It’s not the first time I’ve heard these words from the … [Read more...]
Saving Up the Hard Stuff
“So much will change,” they say, pointing to your swollen belly, nearly giddy with the kind of knowledge that only experience supplies. “Your life will never be the same!” I know, you think smugly. I’ve heard it, I’ve read it, it’s the mantra you mothers all repeat. But they’re right, of course. While things will change, many of those changes are expected: those that arise from the training of … [Read more...]