Dear Mr. Cosby, When I watched you yesterday on the news, at 81 years old, be taken to prison in handcuffs to serve 3-10 years as a convicted rapist, I was very sad. Sad, not for the condemnation by the court or guilty verdict, but for the 10 year old girl who loved watching your… Continue reading A Letter for Bill Cosby
If you haven’t heard, here in New England there is an ABUNDANCE of SQUIRRELS. They have been pictured happily swimming across lakes and sadly squished along highways. In a recent trip to southern NH, we counted 15 in about three miles on the interstate. Needless to say, the carnage has captured our children’s interest. “Mom,… Continue reading An Ode to Squirrels, 8th Graders, and Middle School Teachers
Shoulders have been on my mind a lot lately, and by shoulders, I mean both the body part attaching the arm to the torso and the sides of roadways where people might walk or cycle. We vacationed on Martha’s Vineyard, an annual pilgrimage to spend time with my brother, his wife, and daughters. Easily the… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Blog: “So, There Was This Time I Was Wrong…” August 31, 2018
Last Sunday night before bed, as we were trying to “get back into the routine” and I was returning to school, my 8 year old son held my hand with one of his (the other clutched his favorite stuffed puppy), “Mom, how can you make me go to theater camp for an entire week?” Dramatic… Continue reading Why We Make Our Kids Do Hard Things
Just when I wonder, “What should I write about this week?”, an experience challenges me, or a conversation happens, or in this case, a photo slips from a pile of papers. This was taken a few years ago at my Aunt Sue and Uncle Karl’s house in Maine. My Uncle Karl is a resourceful man… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Blog: “Measuring the Quality of One’s Life,” August 14, 2018
When Geoff was paralyzed in 1995, the first major decision he made was to sell his ‘86 Chevy Blazer and buy a downhill mountain bike. This was his “re-entry” sport as an adaptive athlete, where gravity quickly became his best friend again and where the world didn’t seem quite so limited in a seated position.… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Blog: “Spoke-n Thoughts,” August 3, 2018
We LOVE the water in the summertime, and the rivers, lakes, and mountains of Northern New Hampshire literally provide us with everything we need for swimming, exploring, climbing, problem-solving, fishing, catching crawfish, building cairns or sandcastles– the essential skills of childhood summers spent in the outdoors. The thing is Daddy does not enjoy the water… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Blog: “An Off Camber Kind of Life,” July 23, 2018
Recently, I set my grill on fire. Not like a huge fire where the fire department had to be called but big enough that I needed to employ my fire extinguisher, along with traumatizing our children. My parents had been over for dinner, so my dad felt compelled to remind me, his 43-year daughter, of… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Blog: “Asking for Help is Hard,” July 3, 2018
We have a few sets of friends right now in the world of spinal cord injuries having babies, and we could not be more excited for them to start this next adventure. “Bringing home baby” carries trepidation and anxiety for most new parents, and this is especially so when one has mobility challenges. I wasn’t… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Blog: “Favorite Adaptive Baby Tools,” June 25, 2018
Here’s the thing: talking about certain spinal cord related issues like bodily fluids, poop, sexuality, and fertility does not come naturally to me. However, I’ve gotten better at it over time. Some people are incredibly private about such personal matters, but in listening to my husband over the years, I’ve learned not to be. It’s… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Blog: “Essential lifelines, pathways, people to people,” May 3, 2018
Heather Ehrman Krill: The "Write" Kind of Coach 