It’s as though every day is the first time I’ve met God, the first time I’ve loved Him. I wake up and I can’t remember who I am, or that I’m abundantly blessed.  I feel trapped in the weary, aware of the walls that surround me, boxed in and dull.  And then He shows me […]

Last week, Kevin and I went backpacking on the Appalachian Trail.  I loved it.  And I hated it.  And now, days later, I still want to go back. Identity intrigues me, the way we allow the details of life to shape our perception of possibility; the way I have limited my own view of who […]

Last weekend, Adam went camping with his dad for the first time.  And the most wonderful thing happened: he had a blast. Living with autism, there are things we parents just get used to not being able to do with our children.  We stand in groups of parents who are chattering about all the things […]

Ocracoke is a beautiful island, and our life here for the last week has been like a dream. This is my view, sitting on the deck, where today writing follows lectio divina.  On at least one evening, I finished the day in this spot, as the last evidence of the dying sun melted into the […]

Do you remember what road trips were like growing up?  We used to do things that would now be considered illegal.  I remember the rhythm of my dad’s feet down the steps and thumping against the driveway as he toted me out the front door in my pajamas in the wee hours of the morning. […]

The past few days, it’s been our blessing to share time with Brian, Michelle, and Brayden while visiting Kevin’s mom and dad.  My nephew makes the third of four grandchildren on that side to have been diagnosed with autism.  Brayden reminds me a lot of Adam.  He loves letters and numbers to the point of […]

These are too good not to share! On Her Last Leg First, I should tell you that Riley likes to play this annoying “nose-eating” game with Mom in which she puts her lips on the bridge of Mom’s nose and pretends to “eat” it.  This is one of those only-a-Grandma-would-play-it games.  I can tell you […]

There’s something about life at the beach that inspires new identities. It’s almost as though as the shore refreshes and reshapes itself we are all reshaped and renewed right along with it. I’ve found that it takes more than one week for me to shed the routine and slow our pace to the point that […]

Over the weekend, something happened that will be going in my son’s scrapbook, right next to a picture of him talking on the telephone.   If you don’t know Adam well, the first thing you need to know is that when he grows up, he will be Mr. Monk.  Autism produces some hilarious behaviors in […]

Decorating sugar cookies is an annual must-do for us at Christmas time. Everyone gets in on the fun, and all three of the kids enjoy it very much. There are so many things about making sugar cookies that I love. I love that sugar cookies always taste delicious. I love that they make the house […]