Last week, I had an opportunity to take a mini vacation. My husband had to travel for work, so we arranged childcare so that I could come along with him for two nights. Two nights in a hotel: my...
Just Take A Break
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Blog
Here you’ll find relevant essays related to raising a child with unique and complex needs. The purpose of these posts is to form connections through our shared stories. Stories have the power to change the world when we feel less alone in our struggles and finally seen.
Caregiver Burnout
Something went wrong in the middle of spring. With little provocation, I began snapping at my loved ones. My body started dragging and my muscles ached in a way no amount of rest could cure. I had...
Mental Energy: A Precious but Finite Resource
Mental energy. Cognitive load. Emotional bandwidth. Whatever we call it, we all have a certain amount we expend each day. And when that amount is used up, we need to replenish it by doing things...
Proving Them Wrong
Over the last year, I’ve heard my child described in ways that no parent wants to hear. It shook me to the core. It broke me. They said she is: out of control, aggressive, going to hurt someone,...
Special Siblings
Family dinner at a restaurant. Nothing out of the ordinary to most families, but we aren’t most families. We are a family whose lives were changed by an autism diagnosis over 20 years ago....
Where Do We Go Now?
Amidst the everyday challenges as of late, there is something looming ahead in the horizon. If you’re anything like me, then the fear of the unknown can be quite debilitating. As a fellow...
Without My Daughter
“I know just how you feel, I lost my cat a year ago.” I tried to muster an appropriate response; the woman meant well. But I was still raw after the death of my youngest child and tired...
What Happens When Your Second Child is Diagnosed?
It’s not like we weren’t aware of Damek’s challenges early in his life. The speech delays at three years old, the hyperactivity and constant need to move and interrupt conversations, the inability...
Walking in the Wilderness: Seeking Out Hope in the Middle of the Mess
They showed another video from the series Healing Journeys by Andrew Womack at church today, and I didn’t cry. In fact, they begin each Sunday with one of these videos, and I never cry. When you...
Thanksgiving
Today I am home with a sick child. My complex, disabled, and now ill child. I started the day annoyed that I had to miss work. I have only been back to work (barely part-time) a few...
Alone in a Crowded Room: The Truth About Special Needs Parenting
Parenthood. It’s often touted as a miraculous journey filled with love, joy, and a sense of purpose— a transformative experience that challenges us in countless ways, but also rewards us with...
(In)Visibility: How My Daughter and I Can Be Both Highly Visible and Completely Overlooked
The world of special needs parenting is full of paradoxes. One of the most unexpected is how we and our children can both be highly visible and completely overlooked by the rest of the world....