A friend sent me an article about a woman who had lost both her arms below the elbows and her legs below her knees. As interesting and powerful as the story was, as empowering as the woman clearly is in her day to day life, I wondered why this friend had sent me this piece… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Blog, January 9, 2020: “Let’s Face It…”
Dear Greta, You asked your Elf on the Shelf Snowball for a gift from the heart…with your heart being so big at 8.5 years old, this will be an enormous undertaking. You seemed very happy with your cozy, fleece Christmas blanket the morning before you kicked that older boy, not your brother, in the… Continue reading Gifts from the Heart: Body Belongings, Elves, and Tooth Fairy Criminals
A scientist friend recently remarked on the foliage as having an understory and an overstory. These terms had been unknown to me at the time, despite being a next door neighbor to National Forest for the last 20 years. Yet, I have not been able to stop thinking how an understory perfectly defines the forest,… Continue reading Why the “Understory” of Growing Up is Essential and Why We Need to Listen
The term “inter-abled” is a new word for me. Until reading a recent Reeve blog, this was a word I had not read or overheard in casual conversation. As an avid reader my entire life and high school English teacher for 22 years, I actually love learning new words, and once I know them, I can… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Blog, September 4, 2019: “The Beauty of Choosing Our Words”
I always giggle when reminded of the very first time I introduced Geoff to my mom. We were still “just friends” at this point, but the word “relationship” hovered closely. Standing on the edge of the soccer field following a match we had coached together, she had already asked me about his height. She then… Continue reading Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Blog, June 14, 2019: “Looking Up to Daddy Even When He is Extra Short”
Growing up and out of things is funny and maybe even a little sad. The days pass without the recognition of any significant change until something casual shared like, “Hey, Mom, Greta and I were talking and these are the only tub toys we need to keep.” Oh, ok. Cool. So the remaining seven dwarfs,… Continue reading The Last of the Tub Toys
The end of the school year always leaves me feeling a little like these tulips down the street. August and September, the bulbs are buried deep within the earth, a spring’s worth potential months away. In full bloom, they are everything, bold and bright, tall and strong. But it’s June now; the petals are… Continue reading An End of Year Anthem for Teachers
