Once in a while there is a moment that crystallizes Ryan’s struggles. When it occurs, even in the middle of a meltdown or challenging behaviors, it’s all we can do to hug him tight and try to tell him it will be OK. Saturday was full of trying moments in our house — with both […]
Read more "Ruined by the Smallest Detail"The other day, I wrote about having “The Talk” with Ryan’s sports coaches. Though such conversations initially made me uncomfortable, they were part of a years-long process of both acceptance of Ryan’s diagnosis, and of learning to be an advocate for him. That entry made me recall the first time I truly realized that advocacy […]
Read more "Learning To Be an Advocate"A few months ago, Ryan quite suddenly began insisting everyone call him by his full first name. Fine, we thought, this is a good sign that he is asserting his independence. If we had to work on how he angrily corrected anyone that called him by a shortened version, we could do that. At the […]
Read more "Don’t Call Me ‘Buddy’"Ryan starts street hockey next week, playing on a team in our town league. This will be his fourth year playing, and to look back, we have come a long way. Ryan’s first year in street hockey was his first-ever experience being on a team, and that came with its own set of challenges. We […]
Read more "Having ‘The Talk’"These are anxious times for fans of the New Jersey Devils — just ask Riley. Despite coming within two wins of what would have been a stunning Stanley Cup, the Devils entered the offseason with all sorts of questions. Contracts were up for goalie Marty Brodeur, the 40-year-old who is arguably the best ever at […]
Read more "Waiting for Marty"
Pucks and Puzzle Pieces 