milestones

Reflections on Graduation Day - Part 1

Reflections on Graduation Day - Part 1

This was not like any other special event during the school year; this was different, with balloons dangling on strings, hands cradling bouquets of flowers, and an air of excitement that was not like any other day. This was graduation day, for my son’s 8th-grade class.

Reframing Comparisons in the Season of Milestones, Transitions and Rites of Passage

Reframing Comparisons in the Season of Milestones, Transitions and Rites of Passage

Throughout the childhood and adolescence of any child there are many different kinds of milestones, transitions and rites of passage, and many changes that come along. For families of children with special needs, these can provide many opportunities for unhealthy comparison, which can sometimes be so difficult and painful.

Jesus Cares about the Small Things

Jesus Cares about the Small Things

I could almost hear the voice speaking into my heart. That was weird for me because I can count on one hand the number of times when God has spoken to me that manner. That simple truth—that Jesus cares about the small things—allowed me to comprehend the passage in a new light. And this new perspective can be applied to the very human endeavor of parenting children with special needs and disabilities.

Choosing How to Spend Our Days

Choosing How to Spend Our Days

Writer Annie Dillard says, “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” Those words may sound cruel to parents caught in the chaos of caregiving. There was a time in my life when I would have hated those words. While it was true that I couldn't decide what filled my hours and days, I could decide how to respond to the challenges our family faced.