Tag: life real raw broken beautiful
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Hard Choices and the Space Between
It’s been almost 3 years since we made the decision to use medication as a tool to help my son manage his mental health. 3 years of the trial and error that is inherent to the delicate balance between brain chemistry and drug efficacy. 3 years of weighing potential and actual side effects against positive…
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2018 In Review…The Year of Sloth & Grace
2018 was a year in which I acquired two spirit animals – Sloth & Grace Sloth Admittedly, I think sloths are adorable. But I’m not talking about the three-toed mammals who hang out in the trees of rainforests. I’m talking about the passion of sloth which is a hallmark of an enneagram 9. Sloth in…
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Grace, Grit, and an Unfinished Story
The idea for this blog first took root in my heart as I sat in the sanctuary of Riviera United Methodist Church on Maundy Thursday of 2016. This is the church that has been my spiritual home for 17 years and my place of employment for almost 7 years. It is also the place where…
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Unexpected Visitor
As we were finishing up dinner tonight, we heard a voice at the front door saying “Hello?” It was a friend of my son who he has not seen in over a year. A friend who was both his fiercest ally and biggest source of heartache through the final two years of elementary school. For…
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Nothing a little salt air can’t make better…
Life doesn’t always go as planned. But salt air can help fix just about anything…
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Grace, Indeed
Meet Grace. She’s an 8 year old white lab – a former service dog who was retired when she developed diabetes and cataracts. And as of today, she’s the newest member of our family. We weren’t intending to get a dog right now. The kids have wanted one for ages, but it’s never seemed like…
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Letting Go of the Security Blanket
We are now one week into summer vacation for my kids. Which means we are now one week into being solidly past our elementary school years – a fact I am just beginning to fully acknowledge. It’s not that I am sappy, mushy, and in denial about my kids growing up. Frankly, I enjoy them…
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(Failure to) Thrive…
My son was born tongue-tied. Literally. Many people don’t know that tongue-tie is an actual thing…Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a condition present at birth that restricts the tongue’s range of motion. An unusually short, thick or tight band of tissue (lingual frenulum) tethers the bottom of the tongue’s tip to the floor of the mouth. The…
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Note to self…
Dear Dena, Today started with an email from your son’s therapist that included this…”It seems increasingly urgent that we meet ASAP to collaborate more closely and consider what may be needed for O at this time. He does seem to be deteriorating over the last several months now.” It’s not that you didn’t see that…
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Donating My Birthday
It’s my Birthday Week. When my husband and kids asked what I want for my birthday, I told them nothing – actually I told my husband that I want to come home to a clean house when I get home on Sunday evening from a weekend trip with our daughter 😉 But what I’d really…
We're All A Little Broken 