Category Archives: Uncategorized

Hmm, How Can I Help?

Raising children is not easy. Caring for a child with medical needs or physical and intellectual disabilities adds to the challenges. The disease or disability can often take a family hostage, or at least that is how it feels. Your time is not your own. Your needs get kicked down the road. Sometimes they travelContinue reading “Hmm, How Can I Help?”

Decorating My Funk With Some Live Music

“If you find yourself in a funk—don’t decorate it.” I came across this quote in one of my journals this week. It is a quote from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic. This book is a favorite of mine. It is uplifting, inspiring, and well–magical. Gilbert warns that when you are feeling the blues, it isContinue reading “Decorating My Funk With Some Live Music”

Are You Experiencing Caregiver Burnout?

Caregiver burnout is defined as a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. It may be accompanied by a change in attitude, from positive and caring to negative and unconcerned. Caregiver burnout can occur when caregivers are not receiving adequate support, or doing more than they are physically, emotionally, or financially able to accomplish. OftenContinue reading “Are You Experiencing Caregiver Burnout?”

The Power of a Kind Word and a Smile

“Remember that your smile alone can save a sad soul or heal a broken spirit.” -Unknown My mom always smiled at strangers. (She usually talked to them too.) The example I was shown by mom was to always be kind. Long before we all had tees in our drawers to remind us to “be kind”,Continue reading “The Power of a Kind Word and a Smile”

Looking Through the Rearview Mirror

Have you ever looked through a rearview mirror and been surprised by what you see? You wonder how you didn’t notice a tree, a person, a plant, or a house as you passed it.  Sometimes our focus is on other things and we miss stuff. You also see things you would have never witnessed ifContinue reading “Looking Through the Rearview Mirror”

Short Lives-Impactful Dashes

When we have children, our lives are forever changed. For some parents the changes are minor. The family grows, but the flow, friends, and routines are only slightly altered. When Justin was born, we were in this category. He was so easy. I could take him anywhere, and he just adapted. My routines, friends, andContinue reading “Short Lives-Impactful Dashes”

Feeling It Helps You Heal It

Oh, there is such joy and beauty in laughter. When Emily was a toddler, she giggled and laughed all the time. Her smile and laugh could cheer me up on even the worst day. Laughter lifts our mood and the mood of those around us. It brings inner joy and happiness, but sometimes we doContinue reading “Feeling It Helps You Heal It”

Caregivers Need Care Too

I believe caregiving is the toughest job on the planet. I have had a lot of jobs, and nothing compares. The exhaustion I often feel at the end of the day is brutal. Caregivers often feel like they have no choice or other options. They could relinquish the care to someone else, but they wantContinue reading “Caregivers Need Care Too”

A Cup of Coffee and Greater Connection

According to worldpopulation.com, 50% of marriages in the United States end in divorce. That means for every wedding you have attended, half will end in divorce. If the couple has a child with a disability, the divorce rate jumps to 80%, and if the child is severely disabled, some figures show the rate as highContinue reading “A Cup of Coffee and Greater Connection”