Putting the Flex in Flexibility

As with many children, especially toddlers, there was a time when our girls were young when they were far more stubborn than flexible. About pretty much anything. And everything. I took this all in stride because I remembered a story my mom liked to tell about one of...

The Shape Shifting of Parenting

When my girls were very young, they were almost always in my line of sight. Whether they were reading or watching a movie (at the time it tended to be on one of our laptop screens) or playing, they were within glancing-up-at-them distance. I don’t know if they were as...

What’s in a Name?

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet.” (spoken by Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Act II, Scene II) Does a name truly define a person, the essence of a person, or is it, as Juliet suggests, merely a label without meaning?...

The Journey of Friendships

If I had to pinpoint one of the hardest years of my teenage life, it would definitely have to be my Freshman year of high school. I was 14 and I had a “best” friend who influenced me in ways that were neither good nor healthy. In other words, that was the year I made...

All Things New, Until They’re Familiar

Sometimes, I forget. I forget that new things can feel overwhelming to the autistic or neurodivergent brain. I forget that my girls are experiencing something new because, well, it’s not new to me. Fortunately, my teenagers have gotten pretty good at communicating...