“You’ll miss this, one day,” says the grocery store clerk as she looks in my eyes with compassion and seriousness. “He’s been very hard lately,” I reply as I look into her eyes, and then at Brady as he makes his loud stimming sounds. “MOOOOMMMMMMEEEEEE,” he squeals with a smile…
I hear him whisper-talking to himself as I pause by his bedroom door. It’s a couple of hours before school time and although I can’t see him, I know exactly what he’s doing as I listen intently to the soft sounds emanating from his room. “Yes, that’s okay. The We4…
Brady with a kind stranger dressed as Mario. Brady was so happy to meet Mario. "Can I go to your castle home?" “We have got to work on keeping these children engaged with the world.”– Temple Grandin on the importance of connecting autistic children with others and the world around themSurreptitiously,…
“Mom, did you know that other people matter even if we don’t like them?” It’s a Friday evening and he’s carefully slicing his favorite cheddar cheese while seated at the kitchen counter. It’s hard to watch him cut, with a mildly serrated knife, but he’s nearly ten and I suppose…
It’s quiet and dark but it’s GO time. My oldest is now in middle school and that means we get up while everyone else is still sleeping. At 6:40am, Reagan and I walk out the door to head to the bus stop. The brisk morning air hugs our faces. I…
The door leading out to the garage opens. I know who is coming in. It’s Brady, my beautifully unique and incredibly challenging autistic child. At times, he moves like a reckless elephant. I can tell you if it is Brady coming down the stairs or not. He moves with speed…
“BIG ONE, BIG ONE!! WATCH OUT!” I hear my oldest yell out to his three siblings who are in the ocean with him. It’s a serene morning; a luminous sky arching across the vast open beach, and the pounding waves are providing all the excitement they need. As soon as…
Dearest Reagan, On the brink of your 6th grade graduation from elementary school, I wanted to share with you how proud I am of you and all of the ways I’ve seen you grow. You are my first-born child and the oldest of four. You are the leader of the…
Summers always seem to have another layer of unpredictability that I've learned to embrace. By being open to the surprise happenings of a full day with four young adventurers, I am able to soak in a lot of joy amidst the waves of chaos and sporadic meltdowns. In the summer…
“CLOSE THE DOOR!” Brady demands when I stealthily open his bedroom door to get a small glimpse at what he’s doing. We’ve removed the lock so he cannot really keep us out, but he makes it clear that while he’s creating art- whether a drawing or an origami boat- he wants…
