Jolene Philo writes on when parents of kids with disabilities get ahead of themselves, and how to take it one step at a time.
Top Ten Perks of Raising a Child with Disabilities
Raising kids with disabilities comes with its own set of challenges and reasons to be grateful. Because this is EA/TEF Awareness Month and our son was born with EA/TEF, my top ten perks of raising a child with disabilities will be slanted in that direction.
Faith, Fears, and New Year Planners
I Didn’t Want to Learn Hard Caregiving Lessons, but Now I’m Grateful
My entire life, literally since I was two years old, has revolved around caregiving. Therefore I assumed I was prepared for the challenges our family faced after my mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2008. That assumption proved correct until January of 2023 when Mom entered hospice care. Over the six months leading to her departure from this earth, advocating for her was all encompassing. I didn’t want, nor did I have time to learn hard caregiving lessons. With each passing day I became more grateful for how they drew and are still drawing me closer to God. And so, I want to share them with you.
Practicing Gratitude in Hard Seasons
Only when challenges slap me upside the head do I return to practicing gratitude in hard seasons. I was about to tumble into a pit of depression––a condition that has rarely reared its ugly head in my life––when God brought to mind a practice my husband and I first used decades ago while caring for our son with special needs. Every day I have been practicing daily gratitude in a hard season. Finding reasons to be thankful instead of wallowing in the hard bits took some getting used to. But eventually I got the hang of it and ended up with a long list.
