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 […]
I know, I know. I haven’t been to church in a while. Yet I pray to you every day. My prayers are short, and to the point. In fact, I usually just say one thing. Please, show me the way. I mean a lot of things by this. I mean show me the way with […]
Last week, I read an article about a teenage boy who took a girl to the prom. It was squashed between an announcement about the royal wedding and some pictures of a hairless cat. At first glance, it didn’t seem particularly noteworthy. To tell you the truth, I almost scrolled right past it. Then I […]
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 […]
When my son Jack was a toddler, he threw great big fits in the grocery store. I mean fits. He flung himself on the floor, and shrieked, and one time, he knocked a jar of spaghetti sauce off the shelf and it shattered everywhere. During all of these fits, not one person tried to help […]
Where is this all going? I ask myself this at least five times a week. I ask it when I sign another form with Autism Spectrum Disorder typed next to my son Jack’s name. I ask it when I call Walgreens for a refill of anti-anxiety medication, or make a late-night run for Melatonin. I […]
I’m not sure if you remember me, but we met the other day at the hotel. Well, I guess we didn’t exactly meet. I don’t know your name. We didn’t even speak. In fact, you were barely wearing any clothes, which would have been incredibly weird if you weren’t swimming in a pool at the […]
Editor’s note: I wrote this post after talking with my son Jack about what it’s like for him to receive presents. He reminded me that all he really wants this year is his Aunt Carolyn’s recipe for her chocolate cookies. He loves them, and last time she brought them he ate eleven of them. Hello. I […]
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 […]
I have a son named Jack, and a daughter named Rose. Although Jack and Rose are three years apart, they have a close relationship. They sit at the kitchen counter in the morning and munch on their cereal. She asks about his school, and he tells her bits and pieces. Every few minutes she places […]
