Mental Health

Reclaiming Your Identity as a Special Needs Parent

Reclaiming Your Identity as a Special Needs Parent

We were supposed to introduce ourselves to the other moms at our round table by saying our names and three quick facts about ourselves. When it was my turn, I said, "My name is Jenn, and I have two boys, and I am a special needs mom and...um..."I froze. My life revolved around the needs and endless appointments of my kids. I could not think of a single “other thing“ to say about me. 

How to Become a Better Listener

How to Become a Better Listener

Cindi Ferrini shares one mistake that people often make in conversation. She realized how difficult it is to allow others to share their “moment” without interruption.

How Can I Be Grateful for Disability?

How Can I Be Grateful for Disability?

The question seems ludicrous, even unfeeling when I consider what my father, son, and now my mother experienced due to disability. So how is it, the day after Christmas, that I am grateful for the disabilities that continue to bring sorrow, pain, and loss to our family? Upon reflection, I see the answer in the smiles of my father, my son, and now my mother.

How to Respond to Seasons of Waiting

How to Respond to Seasons of Waiting

Have you ever found yourself in a time of waiting? Maybe it was for test results, a health issue, your loved ones’ diagnosis, a job, marriage, or….? During that time of waiting, how did you respond? We do not always understand why we go through challenges and frustrating times of waiting but what we do have control over is our reaction to this waiting period.

When the Grief of Disability Caregiving Threatens to Break You

When the Grief of Disability Caregiving Threatens to Break You

When the grief of caregiving pushes you to your breaking point, what can you do? Jolene Philo shares how she is learning to focus on today.