Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids, and my second son Jack is diagnosed with autism. He is seventeen. About two years ago, Jack announced he wanted to graduate from high school his senior year. We clapped our hands. We jumped for joy. We told him we were very proud. It was never […]
One green, green day, the Lord looked upon the earth. He admired his sons and his daughters. He smiled at all the wonderful animals, and he gazed tenderly at each new baby. The round blue earth, with all its people and puppies and flowers and trees, seemed complete. But the Lord was not so sure. […]
When our son Jack was diagnosed with autism, my husband Joe and I thought it would—in our own words—blow over at some point. He was a toddler. He had light brown hair and a grin full of mischief. He ran from me every chance he got—through grocery stores and malls and parking lots and the library […]
The other day, my 17-year old son Jack asked me to drop him off at Walgreens so he could buy a couple of things. He planned to use his debit card, and when he was finished, walk across the parking lot to the restaurant where he works. To many, this doesn’t seem like a big […]
I guess you could say I’m just a roof and windows and concrete and wood. You might think I have no soul. But this is not true. I breathe alongside the people I hold. For the past fourteen years, a family has lived inside these walls—a mom, a dad, four boys, and one pink girl. […]
I’d like to apologize for my son Jack’s behavior today. He didn’t answer when you asked what grade he’s in or look up when you commented on his height. Still you packed our bags cheerfully—the new pitcher for iced tea, the yellow placemats, the fragrant candles. But I felt a tension settle over us like […]
Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids. My second son has autism. His name is Jack. He is sixteen. My story is not a new story. It is neither original, nor untold. My story is, quite simply, an account of a bewildered mother trying to enjoy the moment in front of her, with […]
Hi. My name is Carrie. I am married to a man named Joe, and we have five kids. Our second child, Jack, is diagnosed with autism. He is sixteen years old. We spend a lot of time working on open-ended questions with Jack: who, what, where, when, and why. Who is your favorite teacher? What would you like for dinner? […]
Do you know who I am? I am funny-loud-big. At the same time, I am quiet. I am the month of April, and the favorite color blue. I am a number. A statistic. A stereotype. I am a slippery riddle—a puzzle piece on a car bumper, a black sentence upon white paper, a curious phenomenon. […]
My son Jack is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He is sixteen. Jack’s had autism for his whole entire life. I believe he’ll have it forever. I have lived alongside autism for sixteen years now. For the most part, I’d say I have made peace with it. Yet lately, I have moments when I am […]