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Sometimes I have wished that kids came with an instruction manual. This is especially true when raising a child with special needs. Most parenting books are designed to help parents gain the skills and expertise needed to raise healthy, well adjusted children. Parents of kids with special needs desire that same thing, but the message
Nick is constantly my teacher. I want to share another valuable lesson he has taught me. Years ago, we noticed that whenever something bad had happened, Nick would say, “Oh well.” It might be when the stack he was creating fell over, or even when he himself fell over. It might be when I was feeding
Nick lives in the moment. Yes he can have anxiety about future events, but he doesn’t spend his time strategizing to create certain outcomes in his life. He either enjoys or tolerates what is currently happening. Sometimes he does ask, “What’s next?” But that is usually after he’s finished dinner and he’s wondering what his
We are working on getting all the Christmas decorations put up. Nick is impatient. Some of the lights need to be replaced. He also doesn’t understand that we need to take time to sleep and eat and do work. He just wants the decorations to be done. The main problem is that our light strings
Some days are hectic and some are relaxing. Each one carries a potential lesson for us. It is up to us to ponder, meditate and discover the lesson. Some of life’s lessons are hard, others are easy. Some lessons are learned through one experience, and others seem to take a lifetime. Quite a few times
For the past four months, I have been working on the second draft of the book I am writing about raising Nick. I have such compassion for the young mother that I was. I am astounded at the things that I have been able to do over the years. I am very grateful that I
Just like most everyone I know, my calendar of scheduled appointments gets filled up. Not all of these appointments are work related, some are lunches or dinners with friends. Some of my appointments are self-care and pampering as well. My days are busy. Until something happens with Nick. Then everything changes in a moment. My
This past weekend, Nick had a bit of a cold. I was so grateful that he had learned to blow his nose. He was 13 then. Back in the summer of 1993, (that sounds like the beginning of a song!) we took an epic trip to Ireland with our extended family. Arden and I
I was chatting this morning with a mom who’s 16-year-old daughter has the same syndrome as our Nick. She said that just when she thinks that she can’t do anymore, then somehow she keeps on going, just like the Energizer Bunny. I have an Energizer Bunny Christmas tree ornament that reminds me that I can
We have all had those days. They start out great, amazing in fact. And then somewhere in the middle, a crisis rears its ugly head. Sometimes we are caught completely unawares and other times we know “the particular event” is coming. Well that happened to Nick on Sunday afternoon. To remind you of the timeline,
Announcing that I have finished a book with the working title of “The Fairy Fort.” I am currently pitching it to publishers. Keep checking back to watch the progress of my newest novel.
Here is a quick glimpse of the story.
Sarah Doherty is an 18-year-old living in rural Ireland at the tail end of the Great War. Plagued by severe epilepsy, she is protected by her parents and lives a sheltered, secluded, lonely life. The Fae, local Irish fairies, interfere with her life. She falls forward a century in time through the local fairy fort of standing stones. She had a seizure in 1918 and woke up in 2020. The 21st century world includes life-saving prescriptions, physical comforts and the independence and freedom she seeks. The locals are welcoming and Andy Mclaughlin, a handsome young historian, is intriguing. She doesn’t want to return home.
Then a letter arrives from Boston divulging the story of Sarah and Andy’s lives that are deeply entwined in the previous century. They are not yet in love but as they seek to verify the letter through online resources, they feel a growing obligation to their unborn family and to each other. What would happen to their posterity living in Boston if they don’t return to 1918? Even if they do make it back, her parents can never know what happened to her or that would change everything.
This Young Adult time-travel romance explores the question: Do we have the freedom to make choices or is free will an elaborate illusion?
This is my third book. I love reading time travel romances. I am an advocate for epilepsy awareness because my 43-year-old son has intractable epilepsy. As a genealogist specializing in Irish research, I live part of the year in the village where the story is based. I wrote the book to help young adults understand that difficult situations can change your life. Sometimes miraculously.
