Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids, and my second son has autism. His name is Jack. He is fifteen years old. In my mind, I picture autism to be a huge tapestry with a lot of bright, vibrant colors. Actually, I don’t picture the front of the tapestry, but the back of […]
Because of a boy, I know things. I kind of wish I didn’t. But I do. I know unconditional love it not easy love. Oh, it is not. Unconditional love is gritty, hold-your-head-in-your-hands hard. It is determined. It is raw. It is a choice. Because of a boy, I know that being alone is […]
Hello. My name is Carrie. I am almost forty-four years old. I am married to a man name Joe, and we have five kids. As I approach the middle of my fourth decade, I am noticing more and more all the things I think, but I do not say. First of all, my body is […]
I imagine that, as a teacher, you come across all kinds of learners. There are the eager beavers—the kids who just soak up everything around them and can’t wait to dive into their workbooks and always keep their pencils nice and sharp. Then there are the kids who are very smart but also very lazy; […]
Oh, Jack. I don’t know where to begin. You’re so different lately. You’re angry and irritable, and for the life of me I can’t figure out what’s wrong. You’ve always been a bit on the cranky side—you’re what someone might call a curmudgeon, which is a big fancy word that describes a person who complains […]
Listen, I know who you are. And although I can’t see or touch or feel you, I have looked you square in the face for the past ten years. You are a mystery—an enigma—and you baffle teachers and therapists and coaches and bus drivers. You baffle me. And yet, I feel I know you almost […]
Jack plunked down the bulk-size bag of pancake mix just as I pushed the button to lower bagels into the toaster. “But I wanted PANCAKES,” he complained. I explained that Charlie had asked for bagels and fruit, so we were going with that instead. It was early Sunday morning, and Joe had been away in […]
