In the heart kid community, our kids are usually referred to as our “heart warriors.” This word makes me immensely uncomfortable, for lots of reasons. The word warrior, to me, carries violence and anger with it. For whatever reason, I immediately picture the Huns in the movie Mulan. That image is not my Evan. Nor is it any of the amazing kids I’ve seen taking on a congenital … [Read more...] about Why I Don’t Call My Son a “Heart Warrior”
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How My Toddler Sees Her Medically-Complex Brother
People often ask me how Emerie does with all the things that Evan has going on. While we were in the hospital, she struggled at times, of course, but she really doesn’t know any differently than having Evan for a brother. For all she knows, all babies spend months in the hospital and come home with little tubes in their noses and have to go to doctors’ appointments all the time. I … [Read more...] about How My Toddler Sees Her Medically-Complex Brother
What I’m Really Doing When I Think I’m Not “Enough”
As I know many do, I struggle with feeling like “enough.” I often tell myself it is a healthy side-effect of my penchant for self-improvement. In reality, though, I know it’s rooted in a feeling of inadequacy. Recently, I took to Instagram with a little philosophy on my love for editing, and its dark side: Nothing ever feels like it’s enough. At its core, this feeling can be traced … [Read more...] about What I’m Really Doing When I Think I’m Not “Enough”
Why “the Village” is More Complicated than It Sounds
I’ve heard it so many times about the “looks” that people get when they are different. It’s not like I never believed it, but I think I always explained it away, chalking it up to people who are just mean. Now, our family is the one who is different, and I see it so, well, differently. Last week, I took the kids to preschool open gym at our park district. I’d been many times before … [Read more...] about Why “the Village” is More Complicated than It Sounds
Four Words I’ll Never Forget
A few years ago, I took a class/book study about Think and Grow Rich led by my friend Kaelyn. At one session, she said four words to me I’ll never forget: Don’t should on yourself. I am the queen of the shoulds. As much as I tell myself that I’m fully confident in the mom that I am, the reality is that my inner dialogue is full of self-comparison and, often, … [Read more...] about Four Words I’ll Never Forget
Why 2018 Wasn’t a Bad Year
It’s the last day of 2018. With the year we’ve had, a lot of people probably expect me to send 2018 packing with the proverbial middle finger. But, I’m not. I truly can’t believe I’m saying it, but 2018 wasn’t so bad. Sure, there was some stuff that really, really sucked. But, out of many of those junky moments (well, many of them were much longer than moments) came … [Read more...] about Why 2018 Wasn’t a Bad Year