Thanksgiving

For When You Don’t Feel Thankful

For When You Don’t Feel Thankful

My daughter arrived in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the middle of the night on the eve of Thanksgiving. A tough respiratory virus attacked her lungs, and she needed a substantial amount of oxygen support. And now, this unexpected illness meant Thanksgiving was going to be completely different than we had all planned.

When Thankfulness Seems Impossible

When Thankfulness Seems Impossible

Are you scrounging for thankfulness this holiday season? Holidays can be a challenge for those walking through hard days. Perhaps you feel like you've been handed the short-end of the stick; your child is struggling, you’re exhausted and it seems like everybody else has life with a bit more gravy. It’s easy to focus on our circumstances, take stock of what we have and where we are and end up feeling completely void of thankfulness. Is there a cure for this? 

A Smorgasbord of Gratitude

A Smorgasbord of Gratitude

Most Thanksgivings, the spread at our family meal is nothing short of fantastic. Whenever I leave the family gathering on Thanksgiving, I always go away with a full stomach, and don’t bemoan the dishes that I did not want to try. This year, I want to take that perspective with my gratitude.

Now I Am One of You

Now I Am One of You

Last November I had the pleasure of attending the one-man show of a friend, based on the life of Father Damien, who served the leper colony on Molokai, Hawaii. One week later, the day after Thanksgiving, the final words from the play took on new meaning for me, in a way I never saw coming.

Welcoming Siblings Home for the COVID Holidays

Welcoming Siblings Home for the COVID Holidays

As I sat down to share life with fellow special needs parents in this blog, it occurred to me that the best I might offer was a shared prayer for the upcoming holiday season. Perhaps you, too, are thinking out of the box about how to make the most of new and unexpected holiday dynamics. Together let’s pray, Lord, make our homes an instrument of Your peace.