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The doctors told us originally that Nick probably wouldn’t ever walk or talk. Yet not only did he learn to do both of these things, he sings. On the way home from church he was singing away and I captured a brief video of him singing “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” I couldn’t get
Lately my friends are talking to me about trying to reduce my stress. I have been using my own style of stress reducing activities for all of these years, but it seems that the professionals are now saying that sugar can actually cause a stress response in your body. That has not been my experience.
For years Nick has experienced hallucinations. Many people are not aware that those with epilepsy may suffer other difficulties in addition to the seizures. Experts differ in their opinion of the root cause, whether it is temporal lobe involvement during the actual seizures or if it is anti-seizure medicine-induced psychosis. Which ever camp is correct, hallucinations
Nick is continually teaching me. Often his perception is profoundly different than mine. I learn these lessons if I am paying attention. One of the easiest things to notice about Nick is that he finds joy in simple pleasures. He loves it when people are laughing. He loves to hug others and receive hugs. He
Have you ever tried to read the bridge section of the daily newspaper. It’s in the section with the puzzles and comics. Even when I try hard, I can’t envision what is happening. The author uses words that I have heard before, but not in the same context that I understand, so I am lost.
Nick loves birthdays, especially his own. To him, it is the best day of the year. Last year on this day, the eve of Nick’s birthday, I had a huge paradigm shift. For years, in spite of my usual positive proactive approach to caring for Nick, that one day each year was a dark and
I have heard many variations of this same idea. The original quote in 1956 by Walter Hagen was, “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” Regardless of the type of flower, the idea is to take the time to notice the
When Nick was young, his physical therapist recommended that we build him a sandbox. She said that the tactile experience would be good for him. I liked the idea of him being able to do something that other kids did. The sandbox became a place where he played side by side with other children in
Recently we visited with a local bookseller here in Ireland that is selling my book, “A Cottage in Donegal.” Even though I self-published the book back in 2011, it still creates lots of interest. While we were talking about book sales, Nick kept interrupting our conversation saying, “I want a book. About airplanes.” I looked
I have heard this African proverb quoted many times. It is so popular now that we can just say, “it takes a village” and others will understand that we are talking about community, cooperation and group responsibility. This past week we experienced this. We had friends staying with us at our home in Donegal and as
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.
