homeschool, adoption, parenting, family, homemaking
I hate ALS. This disease took more from Dad than his final breath: ALS stole his speech. ALS stole his ability to eat, or even swallow his own saliva. ALS stole enjoying a cup of coffee with friends at Waffle House. ALS stole cruising through the mountains on his Harley. ALS stole wood-chopping and physical […]
I’ve taken training classes about helping others through grief; I’ve read books and articles on the subject, been a listening ear for friends trudging their way through it. I know denial is the first “stage” of grief. I suppose I’ve often pictured it rather dramatically. A heart-wrenching scene, possibly even accompanied by sobbing and/or hysterics. […]
A week ago today, my dad passed on. We knew the end was near but, stubborn as ever, my dad went on his own time. He’d had a horrible night. I am forever grateful to his longtime friend for staying overnight with him at the hospice center; I don’t know how I would’ve dealt with […]
I had other posts scheduled this week, but life took a turn. Things aren’t always easier just because you know they’re coming. My dad is in his last days. I saw him last Friday, and he even got to meet Scout and Jem. Knowing he met our future children, even for just a moment, was […]
My dad ventures down from the mountains every couple of weeks to visit. He never stays very long, as he wants to make the rounds to see as many of his friends and family as possible while he’s here. He almost always comes bearing some small gift, and this time it’s a little bag of […]
Today is my dad’s 71st birthday. When I was growing up, my dad worked long hours as an auto mechanic, and even longer hours once he opened his own shop in 1978. I was in bed most nights before he was home, and he left before I got up in the mornings. Somehow, though, he […]
In my life this week… First of all, did you read about last Saturday? It was a kind of a big deal: Learning what {mothering} really is. A bit of silliness while shopping at T.J.Maxx, and my Mother’s Day roses: Kathryn worked as my assistant on a newborn session earlier this week. She is a […]
Today I saw this story of a man named Ed, who was diagnosed with ALS eleven years ago. As the disease progressed, he had to step down from his position as a pastor, and suddenly felt as if he had no purpose in life. “I never thought that my speaking and writing and living would […]
We’ve had a delightful Thanksgiving week. I’ve been thinking about the importance of traditions, and I’ve realized that I tend to not want to make a big deal of special occasions because in my mind, it’s merely setting us (or maybe just me) up for disappointment. However, with our mixed-up, crazily-blended family, we need those […]
I’ve recently added this little sunflower logo to my sidebar: After being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a woman named Shirley noticed that there was no symbol for ALS awareness; nothing like the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness. So she proposed the sunflower as a symbol of hope, grace, and dignity. Shirley explains: “The […]
After weeks of testing followed by a ten-day stay in the hospital, my dad was finally given a diagnosis for his condition: central pontine myelinolysis. (No, I’d never heard of it before this either.) What happened? Last April, my dad had a little virus and got dehydrated. Because the medicine he is suppose to take […]
Right now, my outdoorsy, nature-loving, almost-daily-hiking, bear-talking-to, Harley-Davidson-riding Dad who can usually out-do most men half his age in just about anything physical, is stuck in the hospital. I took this photo about a week and half ago when my dad stopped by on his way to have an MRI done. He has been having […]
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