Impactful

I keep residing in the euphoric moment of Tuesday night.  It was euphoric because I didn’t vomit, fall on the stage, or stare blankly at my audience.  I spoke my truth with conviction.  That is brave.  Please don’t confuse my words with stroking my ego, but rather a testament to being able to be authentic…

The Outcome

The moment of truth came and went last night.  I stood up in front of 500 people and shared an intimate, detailed account of my boy’s different paths to the same destination.  It was really a tribute to the kind of institution that Trinity is and an expression of gratitude to their contribution to both…

Nervousness

So, tonight I will be standing in front of an extensive crowd sharing my story of how my boys arrived at the same place taking different paths.  It is the story of a place – a home where my boys have been nurtured and loved.    I can honestly say I am terrified about standing…

Contagious

Friday night was an awakening of sorts.   Words escaped me as I was totally immersed in the moment.   Bailey’s dance team, the Boogie Down Crew, which is comprised of young adults with Down syndrome, was the halftime entertainment at my youngest son’s high school which is the same place that employs Bailey.  This…

My Seat

There I was – back in my warm seat – nestled in the embrace of my writing workshop.   Still on the path of trying to figure out what I am destined to write.     I started out writing for children.  It is a lot harder than it sounds, plus you can’t be sarcastic…

The Blueprint

There is a lot of stock in honesty.   It keeps the slate clean without tainting our being with half-truths or total lies.  Sometimes being truthful is hurtful.  I am forever reminding myself that if it doesn’t meet the criteria – is it kind, necessary or true, then I probably need to keep it to…

Varied Paths

In less than two weeks, I will be one of the speakers at an annual dinner for my youngest son’s high school.  The same high school that saw beyond Bailey’s disability and hired him to work in their cafeteria.   I was asked to share my story – the story of two individuals who traveled…

Allow Me To Introduce Myself

I know I have alluded to my years of participating in a recovery program, but in true transparency, I wanted to expand on my experience.  Let me start by saying when I went to my first meeting, I thought it was a cult.  These people were laughing and looked way too happy for people affected…

Teenage Wasteland

Yesterday, after a long conversation with a friend and a few follow-up text messages, she joked that she gave me my topic for today.   I didn’t give it much thought until my bleary eyes slowly revealed themselves this morning and I realized it is a really juicy subject. Okay, so my experience with teenagers…

Solid Ground

Last night sleep escaped me.  It was as if I was the stalker and it took out a restraining order on me.  I was unable to get within 200 feet of it.    As I tossed and turned, my brain resembled a corn maze – searching for the exit, but always falling short.   When…