Finding joy when the days are long My daughter had cognitive and physical disabilities due to a brain tumor which reoccurred throughout her 21 years with us. Those 21 years were an amazing blur of joy, terror, heartache, pure happiness, and everything in between. That doesn’t mean it was all…

And an idea to help get past them. — First Impression: first consideration or judgment (Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/first%20impression.) Somehow, in today’s day and age when how people look shouldn’t matter, it still does. It’s difficult to not form a quick opinion of someone based on your first look at them. …

I don’t have small kids in the house anymore nor do I have a big kid who still fully believes in the magic of Christmas. Life’s a bit different these days (to put it mildly). But I’m learning that different can be okay. …

Confessions of a parent of a child with chronic medical needs — I deceived my daughter. I did it on a regular basis, time and time again. I meant no harm, in fact, just the opposite — I wanted to spare her anxiety. Emily had, what eventually, over time, seemed like a phobia of having medical procedures. She would immediately say no…

Chocolates, sleepiness, and little brothers. My daughter, Emily, loved Halloween. In her eyes, there was much to love about this day of endless candy. She didn’t have a sweet tooth per se, but rather, a love of chocolate. In fact, she disliked most candy that wasn’t chocolate, but she brokered…

Hearing a diagnosis of cancer will forever alter your future. But what happens initially? — Shortly after my daughter, Emily, was diagnosed with a brain tumor, at just 7 months old, life became a whirlwind. This shouldn’t have been surprising. But, yet, it was. Before; before I heard the words, “Your daughter has a brain tumor,” I was a caring, thoughtful individual. I was sympathetic…

I’m approaching that time of year: the one-year anniversary of my daughter’s death. What a strange way to refer to the date that my daughter stopped taking breaths here on Earth. Anniversary. Doesn’t that connotate a happy day to which you should celebrate? …

How the seemingly weakest are the most heroic She gets out of the cab with my help. Her aide already unbuckled her seatbelt. I grab her book bag, she swings her right leg, clunky with a hard plastic AFO on it, and her left leg swiftly follows. I’m distressed because…

The pain of filling that time between school years. Summer break is fast approaching. A time when kids countdown to days filled with playdates, camps, sports, water fun, and anything BUT homework. …