Category Archives: Uncategorized
The cicada goes quiet
Less than an hour ago, I stood on the sidewalk waving good-bye to my little guy as his bus pulled away from our curb. He’s on his way to his new out-of-district special education school. He started yesterday, settling in … Continue reading
The upside of being labeled
Yesterday we spent the day with what I affectionately refer to as our “tribe” – a group of families who all have a child with the same genetic syndrome as our son. We hung out, had lunch, chased kids, talked … Continue reading
What a difference a year makes
I’ve had an active, entertaining weekend. Yesterday I attended a Special Needs conference hosted by a statewide consortium of agencies that serve families and children with special needs; this morning I joined 6,000 festive folks to run 5K through our … Continue reading
Getting unstuck
Certain emotions — like fear, anger and sadness — are a little sticky for me. Among the skills that helps one get through life (like being able to jumpstart a car and make good martini) “processing painful emotions” isn’t one … Continue reading
You get me…you really, really get me
I just came home from two days of special needs parent training. It was the kind of weekend that makes my life seem almost glamorous—free hotel with a glorious night of uninterrupted sleep, food flowing all day with no dishwasher to … Continue reading
Dear School Photographer
Today is one of those perennial childhood milestones — School Picture Day. Along with a check for $24 and a form selecting Package D with a “Scenic Background” upgrade, my child brought in the following note to his school photographer … Continue reading
Durga: my nominee for Patron Saint of Special Needs Parents
Strolling through the Peabody Essex Museum last weekend (wow, something in my life must be working!) I found myself in the Indian exhibit stopping short in front of an image of the Hindu goddess Durga. The image of this strong … Continue reading
Perfection is the enemy of done
It’s been nearly a year since my three meager posts. The blog that started in a rush of eagerness to ponder, reflect and explore sputtered and stalled. What happened? Enemy, thy name is Perfection. I don’t consider myself a perfectionist. … Continue reading
“Just keep going. No feeling is final.”
“This too shall pass.” “Hang in there.” Such advice is given usually at the moment we least want to hear it, when we’d rather just punch the messenger right in the nose. But the message is wise and true. Just keep going. No feeling is final. With each breath and with each step, it turns into something else.
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My love/hate relationship with Mamma Bear
Whenever I have an aversion to use a word or phrase that everyone else seems to love, I’ve started to realize it’s worth exploring. This week, a phrase that seems to be beloved in our special needs community has been … Continue reading
