In life we can find a mentor for so many things. Athletics. Business. Politics. Our Faith. In writing, finding a mentor to help you be the best writer you can be I feel is one of the most important things we can do. Sometimes you only have one, and if you are fortunate enough you may have more than one. These people take time out of their busy lives to help you as you grow. And they don't just help you in your writing but help you in your life when the time is needed. I feel like I have been … [Read more...]
L is for Laughter
Laughter can be infectious. Laughter can be so much fun. Laughter can change the mood in an instant. When I think of laughter, my daughter's image often comes to mind. She'd be sitting in her high chair eating whatever it was (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack) and I'd be doing whatever (think like cleaning or something else) and out of nowhere this laughter would fill the room. For no apparent reason at all Mari sat there just laughing. You'd stand there watching her and you couldn't help but … [Read more...]
K is for Kiss
Mari's kisses were special. She wasn't one to just give them freely. When she did, it meant more than most because of the significance of her comprehending what a kiss was: a form of endearment. She could communicate her feelings or emotions like so many of us can today. Her autism simply didn't allow it. However, over time she slowly came out of her shell. No, not like a typical person, but different than she once was. I loved giving her a kiss goodbye or a kiss good night when we were tucking … [Read more...]
C is for Chewy Tube
You might be asking what a chewy tube is exactly. Well, it something my daughter needed. So many children with autism need to be orally stimulated by either sucking on things or chewing on them. If Mari didn't have one on, she'd put her shirt in her mouth and suck that. She did it to the point sometimes that she'd put holes in her shirts. So at all times she had one attached to either her shirt or her dress to take care of that need. We have one of Mari's chewy tubes attached to the pink hippo … [Read more...]
A temporary postponement
Last year I participated in the A to Z challenge on my daughter's dedication website. I loved it. Each day of the challenge I dedication the posting to my daughter. This year I've decided to do it for both her website as well as this one. My hope is you will join me over the next 30 days as I make my way through the alphabet from A to Z. However, due to the challenge I need to temporarily put my 365 day writing journey on hold for the month of April. Don't worry. I promise it will be back … [Read more...]
Day 100: Writing as Therapy
Since I can remember I have kept a diary. I think I was in the fourth grade when Grandma Patton sent me a diary for Christmas as well as a pen. I could write whatever was on my mind. Whether it was that I hated my mom for something I probably got in trouble for or that she wouldn't let me do whatever I wanted. If I'd only known then what I know now. I promised myself I'd never be like my mom, yet the honest truth is all kids can't stand their parents as kids from time to time but so appreciate … [Read more...]
Day 97: Clear Language
When we write do we want to be vague or do we want to be as clear as possible? I hope your answer was the latter. In our writing we should want to be as clear and straight forward so there is no confusion on the part of the reader. The clarity of our story needs to not make sense only in our heads but also the reader. If we didn't have readers there would be no need to write a story in the first place. One morning my niece and her friend that had stayed the night were upstairs in her room … [Read more...]
Day 96: The Things We Keep
In life, as each day goes by, we create memories. For the most part, most of those memories aren't that important so we forget about them. But the important ones sometimes feel like they embed themselves into our brains. When my daughter died I knew I couldn't go back and live in the house where all I had surrounding me were memories of her. Pictures on the wall. Her sippy cups. Her food. Her bedroom. I was a stay at home mom of a child with severe autism whose life completely revolved around … [Read more...]
Day 92: Rituals of Discipline
Discipline. Does it come natural for everyone or just for some while others have to work at it? I think it's the latter of the two. For me, discipline hasn't always been easy. I'd love to be like one of those people who set out to do something and they always do it. They don't allow distractions to get in their way. However, I tend to get bored with things too easily. I can focus on something for a couple of months but then I get distracted and stop. I need something new to keep my … [Read more...]
Day 86: Looking vs. Seeing
Have you ever been told before that you might be looking at something but you're not seeing it? I think we all have at some point. An example is my daughter Mari. When we would go into a store and Mari would have a meltdown, people would look at her but that is just the outside they were seeing. They wouldn't stop to think that maybe there's a reason she's acting like this. So in other words, they looked at her outside, but they never saw the inner beauty of Mari as they rushed to judge not … [Read more...]
