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I don’t watch much TV that isn’t kids programming. So it’s unusual for me to want to write about a TV ad, but here goes. Last night while watching I don’t know what, an ad from the insurance company MassMutual came on. Apparently it has been around a while, but this was the first time … Continue reading
Deane’s weight is so far below the curve on a standard growth chart that it is unmeasurable. No wonder the dietitian is giving me ultimatums. It is very distressing when the doctor points to a spot inches below the sweeping curve of normal weight for 14 year olds. But what I’ve found out on our … Continue reading
The day after Halloween last year, my daughter told me what she was going to be for this Halloween. Then, a couple of times over the summer, she told me that she had been thinking about Halloween and had changed her mind. Of course, the costume choice changed twice more in the weeks leading up … Continue reading
I wish I had had a camera. From my seat, the upright pipe organ was framed by my mother’s profile on the left and Deane’s on the right. Both their faces shone with that kind of eye-sparkle, inner-warmth glow. It is one of Deane’s rituals after the service to half walk, half dance across the … Continue reading
I was standing around with other parents – mostly dads because that’s what you do at hockey rinks – and the kids were staring. When they’re this age, they usually don’t say anything, but their gazes rested too long to be polite. The wheelchair attracts attention. Sometimes it is the iPod we have mounted on … Continue reading
“What about Christmas?” That was the immediate reaction from my nine-year-old daughter when I announced at the dinner table that Deane was going to have his hip surgery in mid-December. “Does that mean were not going to have our Christmas party?” Well… My husband and I went into reassurance mode. We will work it out. … Continue reading
When I talk to someone I’ve just met about Deane, I don’t use the phrase cerebral palsy. In fact, unless it is important, I don’t even mention that he is disabled. This has led to some awkward situations, but I’m willing to risk that to avoid labelling Deane. I’m afraid that if I say “My … Continue reading
The U.S. TV anchorwoman who went on air to respond to an email she received criticizing her weight gone viral online. It has received a phenomenal amount of media coverage. But I thought it was worth adding a bit more. I’m not interested in debating whether the anchor, Jennifer Livingston, is obese. She admits that on a … Continue reading
I haven’t done it in years. Different events trigger it, but in the end it is always the same. I’m lying on my bed with my fists clenched, yelling through my tears. “Why? I don’t understand! Why me? Why does this have to happen? It’s not fair!” I pound the bed with my fists. I … Continue reading
I sat in a corner of my son’s classroom with a knot growing in my stomach. I’ve been through this before. I was there with the speech-language pathologist, an OT who specializes in communication systems and two of Deane’s educational assistants. The purpose of the meeting was to show the EAs how to connect Deane’s … Continue reading
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