The thought that he won’t have the opportunity to experience reading leaves me sad. As a person who finds wisdom, adventure and joy in reading, coming to terms with my son’s situation has been…well, it hasn’t.
Tag Archives: special education
Empty space
As we prepared to sell our house and pack for our huge adventure and head out to Sweden next week, we’ve had to take decluttering to the proverbial “whole nother level” to say the least. A trifecta of motivators—a cheer-leading realtor, the understandably high cost of trans-Atlantic shipping and an earnest desire for a fresh start—has lit a fire under our bums and experience has been nothing short of catharsis.
Prostration
Several years ago I heard a radio interview with a devout Jewish woman who had a practice of laying prostrate—face down on the ground, arms outstretched. She said she did it to remind herself that she was not in control of every little thing. She was in God’s hands.
In other faiths too, the act of laying oneself down is one of humility or surrender. While I might not share the beliefs from which this tradition springs, I do appreciate the value of acknowledging that I am not always in control.
Leaving the safe harbor
I always dreamed I’d have adventures. Why shouldn’t we now? The wonderful thing about learning new skills like advocacy, collaboration and creative problem solving is that they are global. I’m bringing them with me. Thank you to all my wonderful teachers.
Waiting for the New Health Care
In my mind, I envision the future. Here’s what it looks like.
Bushwacking: Four stages of becoming a family leader
Becoming a leader can feel intimidating. It requires new skills and courage at every step. It can be helpful to notice that leaders aren’t “born with it,” but are called to it. We can learn these skills. If we’re lucky, we have support and friendships for companionship along the way.
Open Arms
I’ve had another one of those experiences that are so complicated that it’s not easily digesting itself into a post. But it was too good not to share: There are a lot of spectrums in the special needs world. One of them is the spectrum of embracing folks with disabilities in one’s everyday community. The …
No Pity, part 1
I bring along my son, who attends a special education school many miles away, when I pick up my daughter at her neighborhood school’s after-school program. Since he started attending the far-far-away school a year ago, the ties that bind him to our neighborhood are snapping, one by one. Granted, they were never strong, as …
Asking Stupid Questions, aka Beginner’s Mind
Here’s another in my toolbox series of techniques that inspire me to live with joy, compassion and courage, as inspired by the Hindu goddess Durga — my nominee for patron saint of special needs parents. When it comes to raising kids with special needs, there are a lot of gatekeepers who get to be on …
Continue reading “Asking Stupid Questions, aka Beginner’s Mind”
What do you do all day?
Not too long ago I ran into an acquaintance. We were getting caught up on things and I told him how I had sold my business a year ago so that I could focus on my child’s needs full-time. “But doesn’t he go to school all day?” he asked. “What do you do all day?” …