Thankful for it all

I will be thankful because my parents taught me early that there is always something to be thankful for. I will be thankful because the alternative doesn’t serve me—or my boys. Gratitude is what makes the hardest moments less painful and somehow more meaningful.

Be the CHANGE you want to see

I have two neurodiverse sons. Their lived experiences and differences are as unique as them. They both have neurological differences and I believe they are both on the spectrum. Nico is my oldest and he is what I would consider “classically” autistic. I say that because most people nowadays can recognize he’s autistic based on … Continue reading Be the CHANGE you want to see →

Laughter is the best medicine

Anyone with autistic children understands the lengths we go to sometimes (or every single time) just to get a decent picture of them. I am intimately familiar with the struggle because it is a true labor of love to get my two boys to smile at a camera, especially my Nico. This is actually one … Continue reading Laughter is the best medicine →

The Most Deserving

I'm currently on my work trip and will be gone for the next two days, so my anxiety is at an all-time high. Nico doesn't do well typically when I'm gone, so I have to do a lot of prepping in the days leading up to my trips. This includes filling out the "mommy away, … Continue reading The Most Deserving →

The Release and Relief of Grief

Nico’s birthday was this week. It was the first birthday where he actually told me what he wanted to do for it. I have asked him how he wished to celebrate his birthday in years past, but he never quite made the connection to what I was asking. This year he finally did. He told … Continue reading The Release and Relief of Grief →

One Magic Thanksgiving

I spent Thanksgiving in Sedona, Arizona. It was one of the places from my childhood where I saw my parents the happiest. It felt like a magical place to me because of how happy they were. My parents were so in love with Sedona that my mom even said she would absolutely be retiring there … Continue reading One Magic Thanksgiving →

Another Adventure Awaits

I’ve been thinking a lot about caregiving recently. It’s something that I feel like I have been doing in one way or another for as long as I can remember, and it’s given me a great sense of purpose my whole life. In the simplest sense, I started early with caregiving. Growing up, I took … Continue reading Another Adventure Awaits →

With Open Arms

I love taking Nico to the trampoline park. He finds so much joy in jumping. He always has. He got his first trampoline when he was 2 years old, shortly after his diagnosis, and he used that tramp every single day until he outgrew it. I learned early on in his autism diagnosis that he … Continue reading With Open Arms →

Sponges

Today is the anniversary of my Mom’s passing. June 27. It pops up every year and for a few brief moments I am catapulted back to that tragic day where I lost my Mom and felt her indelible imprint all at once. My mother was perfectly imperfect. She had a heart of gold, a fierce … Continue reading Sponges →

Landslide

I’m sitting on a plane heading to Indianapolis for a family graduation and my boys are sound asleep. Could it be because we woke up at 530am, or possibly because I slipped a little dose of melatonin in their juice…can’t be sure (tongue and cheek moment), but I am calm for the first time since … Continue reading Landslide →