My Ian. When I say he’s a “good” kid, I don’t mean he says “Please” and “Thank you,” or that he gets good grades. I mean, he does all of those things, but that’s just scratching the surface. When I say he’s a “good” kid, what I mean is that he’s a “good” human, something…
Happy Father’s Day: Honoring Two Remarkable Men in my Life
Today on Father’s Day, I want to take a moment to honor two remarkable men in my life: First, my dad; the hardest working man in the world. A man who gave up the only life he’d ever known in Poland in order to take a risk as a political refugee in America, so his…
Still Standing
I first noticed her as soon as we arrived. We were spending the day at a local event for autism families; an annual picnic where strangers help chase down bolting kids without having to be asked and there’s no shortage of glorious hand flapping. There was nothing remarkable about her really, at least, not at…
For a Second I Forgot Just How Different They Really Are
Yesterday I took my younger son Ian to a doctor’s appointment. I arrived early, knowing I was going to be subjected to a stack of paperwork that would take me ages to fill out. Except it didn’t: I forget sometimes. I forget just how vastly different the lives of my two sons are. I mean,…
We Are Special Needs Parents
We discuss our children’s diagnosis and challenges like most parents discuss refrigerator art or the dangers of Tonka toys cluttering the hallways. We know better than to fill up our calendars with permanent marker; we prefer pencil instead. We linger just a little bit longer when we hug, because so often those extra five seconds…
For the First Time (Since Ever) He Didn’t Sit Alone
Every morning I put my special needs son Andrew on the school bus buckle him in cover him in love and cross my fingers and toes that he’ll be okay while he’s away Every morning he stares at me through the window while I wave and blow kisses and jump up and down hoping…
And Then You Came and Made Us Whole
Your father he loves to tell the story of how the nurses had to part your hair with a comb after you were born I love the part when my water broke at midnight and your dad fast asleep on the hospital cot next to me nearly broke his neck jumping out of bed…