Caregiver Reflections Archive

We Are Here

We Are Here

As written by Katie Emde from her blog @A Journey for Avery We will always fight for you. The days you are crying, the days you scream all day & when the meltdowns are never ending. We will...

read more
Strength Not Weakness

Strength Not Weakness

As written by Kim Mcisaac from her blog @Autism Adventures with Alyssa Mental health struggles are real and can be dark. You can lose your ability to cope and even to care. It can push you to the...

read more
When He Prays

When He Prays

As written by Lindsay Criswell from her blog @Branch and Stone Studio My son cannot usually answer open ended questions. He may not look you in the eye. My son might come by your side, but then he...

read more
Maybe One Day

Maybe One Day

As written by Margaret Hay from her blog @A&Me I am sometimes seen as rude. Uninterested. Detached. Maybe it is because when I bump into you when out, I often just say "hi" and then rush off...

read more
When Losing Hope isn’t an Option

When Losing Hope isn’t an Option

The following guest blog post was written by Michelle Kiger of My Redhead Warriors The last thing I ever want to do is lose hope. When our life gets really hard I try to think of our past. Look back...

read more
A Holy Shift

A Holy Shift

I descended the stairs, immediately irritated by what was awaiting me with each scream originating from my 15-year-old son. Great, I muttered as the uninvited stench rose to greet my nose. Luke, my...

read more
Holy Work

Holy Work

“This is holy work,” I begrudgingly reminded myself a day after returning home from a much needed vacation; a week of relaxation, sun, and reconnecting with my husband, and here I was now, again,...

read more
Manna for the Moment

Manna for the Moment

Luke has been back in school for about a week now. Experts claim that special needs caretakers often experience PTSD, and I particularly notice this tendency when I don’t have him on my radar for an...

read more
Luke’s Brain

Luke’s Brain

I often struggle to understand or explain Luke’s thought process to others. Luke, my 15 year old primarily non-verbal son with profound special needs. Friends, bystanders or even specialists will...

read more
MOM!  Don’t Bring Luke!

MOM! Don’t Bring Luke!

A few weeks ago, on a particularly warm summer day, Ryan and I announced to our crew – Kids! You’ve been so helpful lately and did your chores without complaining so we’re going to have a family fun...

read more
See Me Too – A Caregiver’s Plea

See Me Too – A Caregiver’s Plea

Dear mama with normal children, Normal? Typical? What’s politically correct you might wonder? As do I and – What is normal anyway? Honestly, I’m not sure because I’m tired. And I don’t spend my free...

read more