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Dear Lord,
Thank You for this Sunday and for the chance to begin again, even when we are already tired before the day gets rolling. You see every parent and caregiver carrying responsibilities that feel heavy, the schedules, the emotions, the worries that tag along from one week to the next. Please meet us right in the…
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Spring Break, Moving Boxes, and Two Teenage Union Workers on Strike
Praise the Lord and all the shepherds, we made it to Friday of spring break. Can I get a witness, a coffee refill, and maybe a silent retreat that lasts about three hours? Today’s adventure was brought to you by cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, and two teenage boys who may not use words, but who…
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Spring Break: Day Whatever, and I Am Now Accepting Applications for a Stunt Double
I would like to begin by saying that I love my boys infinity times infinity. I would fight a bear for them, advocate until my voice gives out, and move heaven and earth to meet their needs. I would also like to have a quick word with whoever invented spring break. Not the teachers; they…
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Spring Break Survival Guide for Special Needs Parents: Real-Life Tips from Someone Who Gets It
Spring break is supposed to be relaxing. That is what the brochures say anyway. In reality, for many special needs parents and caregivers, spring break can feel like a disruption wrapped in chaos with a side of snacks you just bought yesterday that are somehow already gone. The routines that keep our children regulated disappear overnight,…
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Easter Hope (Even When the Baskets Are Half-Filled and Your Tank Is Running on Fumes)
If you’re anything like me, Easter can feel like a strange mix of holy reverence and sheer exhaustion. There’s the pressure to make it special, to fill the baskets, to show up looking like you have your life together, to smile for pictures, and to pretend you slept. Meanwhile, you’re running on cold coffee, yesterday’s worries, and a prayer you whispered somewhere between charging…
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PSA: This April Fools’ Day Skip the Prank, Send a Laugh!
Dear Friends, Family Members, and Anyone Feeling Especially Mischievous This Time of Year, Let me start with this truth: nobody needs to laugh more than special needs parents and caregivers. We laugh to cope. We laugh to survive. Sometimes we laugh because the alternative is crying in the pantry next to the snacks we just hid from our kids.…
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My Circle Is Now a Dot, And I Prefer It
Somewhere along the way, my circle got smaller. Not dramatically with a falling out, or with slammed doors and hurt feelings. It just shrank. Friends I used to do life with are planning weddings, and becoming grandparents. They’re planning exotic vacations, enjoying quiet houses and spontaneous dinners out. Meanwhile, I have teenage toddlers. Yes, they’re…
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A Prayer for the Week Ahead
For the Weary, the Warrior, and the Wonderfully Worn-Out Heavenly Father, As a new week stretches out before us, we come to You exactly as we are: tired, hopeful, anxious, determined, and carrying more than most people will ever fully understand. You see the therapy schedules taped to the fridge. You see the emails we still haven’t answered. You see the…
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Midweek Pep Talk for the Parents & Caregivers Who Don’t Get a Day Off
Let’s just say it out loud: Wednesday is a weird day to be a special needs parent. Monday had somewhat of a plan. Tuesday had a little momentum. But Wednesday? Wednesday shows up like, “Sooo, how’s that going for you?” And you’re standing there in yesterday’s sweatshirt, holding a cold cup of coffee you’ve reheated three times, wondering if you remembered to send that email, refill that…
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Why Laughing Might Be the Most Underrated Survival Tool for Special Needs Parents
If you’re raising a child with special needs, chances are you’re living with a level of stress most people will never fully understand. A study from the University of Wisconsin compares our stress levels to that of combat soldiers! There are the obvious stressful things:appointments, therapies, insurance battles, school meetings, advocating for services, and worrying…
