I saw my counselor today. We met for an hour. I was exhausted before we even got going. When I got out, all I wanted to do was take a nap. That, my friends, is severe introversion at its best and finest. I long-ago made peace with the fact that I’m an introvert. (Thank you, … [Read more…]
Christmastime last year was a very difficult one for me. My husband was working a low-end temporary job making $15 an hour – with no time off for the holidays (not even Thanksgiving or Christmas). We had no Veteran’s benefits coming in yet. Neither of us had healthcare. We were living in an 850 square … [Read more…]
The world is a big, uncertain place for all little ones, and forming friendships with families of all kinds helps prepare them for it!
What if in building your walls of protection and barricading hearts you shut out the ones who just might actually want to stay? Community is a two way street. If you don’t let them in, you will never know the ones who truly love well.
So, what if you let down that wall and just let them in?
It all starts with finding common ground. Every mom has a similar experience, a similar set of responsibilities, joys, fears, hopes, and frustrations. Special needs moms have a few complications, sometimes a lot. But, every mom (every person) also has a distinctive journey with its own struggles.
Bridging the gap is going to take work on both sides. We have to acknowledge that this parenting thing is hard sometimes, whether you have a child with special needs or not. We need to be willing to look beyond ourselves, reach out to those who are struggling, accept friendship and help when it’s offered, and do everything in our power to bridge the gap so that no parent feels alone on this journey.
Before bridges can be built, walls must be torn down. And before walls can be torn down, walls must be understood.
The Story Behind this Special Needs Series The story of this series begins five years ago. Kathryn, Sara, and I were young military wives who had met online. We were expecting our first babies – all boys. We commented on bumpdates and nursery pictures and even sent baby gifts to each other. One after another, we gave birth to our precious … [Read more…]
Friendships between single and married women: some practical advice for married women, single women, and churches.
I realized then that I had hadn’t developed a new friendship with a single woman since I got married at the age of just-turned-21.