When I was very little, we lived on top of a hill. One night my mother and father walked my sister, my brother, and me down the hill to a big white building on the corner so they could vote. I’m not sure how I knew this, but I did. There were people sitting at […]
Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids, and my second son has autism. His name is Jack. He is sixteen years old. I don’t really care about what causes autism. I mean I do, a little bit. But mostly, I don’t. At this point, I’ve heard it all. I’ve heard autism is caused […]
Hello. I have been thinking about you lately. We’ve never met. You live in West Virginia, and I live in New Hampshire. I have five kids. My second son, Jack, has autism. Jack told me West Virginia and New Hampshire are exactly five hundred and forty-six miles apart. He knows stuff like this. I bet […]
I wrote this piece after conducting extensive research. And by extensive research, I mean asking my son Jack a bunch of questions and hoping he would answer me. All in all, we had some good conversation, which isn’t always the case. Dear Santa, My name is Jack Cariello. I am fourteen years old, and I am very excited for Christmas this […]
What did you do today? Your question for me. A good question. A curious question. Nonetheless, I found myself without an answer. What did I do? Well, I did nothing. And I did everything. I remade a bed so the sheets were pulled extra-tight. I noticed a broken window blind, and made an […]
This weekend my 12-year old son, Charlie, won an award for Little League. I felt so happy, watching him walk onto the field in his orange uniform, with his shoulders squared and his head held high. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my other son Jack jumping and hopping with his […]
Hi. My name is Carrie. I am forty-three years old. I am in decent shape. I exercise almost every day, and I don’t take medication, and I don’t have any medical issues. For the most part—aside from the occasional cold in the winter and monthly bouts of PMS—I am healthy. And yet, I often think […]
Every single day, Jack’s mother tries to climb inside his mind and understand how he thinks. She listens to music through his ears. She watches movies through his eyes. She tells his story as if it is her own, because, of course, it is. Once upon a time, when her son was diagnosed with the […]
There are so many things I want you to know, but I don’t know how to tell you. We never have enough time in our meetings, between reviewing my son Jack’s IEP, and planning for summer school, and signing the endless pieces of paper. I want you to know I’m not angry. I’m grieving. And If […]
