Ryan doesn’t often express wishes. I’m not sure why. Maybe he’s just more focused on what is right in front of him. Maybe wishes are too abstract a concept for someone so wired to think in black and white. Whatever the reason, when he expresses a wish, it can be profound. Before Ryan’s life-altering visit […]
Read more "Ryan’s Wish"This blog began with a hockey story in Philadelphia. If you’re here, you’ve probably read it. I’ve referenced it many times on the site. If not, please give it a read, won’t you? It was a day that Ryan proclaimed the greatest of his life. He had never said anything like that before, nor had […]
Read more "All Great Hockey Stories Happen in Philadelphia"I had a birthday the other day. Not a milestone one, but rather a run-of-the-mill, another-year-older-and-slower one. I was thrilled when Veronica and the kids “surprised” me at the train station after work and took me to dinner at the local diner. It was a perfect cap to a low-key day — a meal with […]
Read more "It’s the Thought That Counts"Ryan is a creature of habit, never more so than where food is concerned. He likes a very select number of foods (though the list has been growing) and even fewer drinks. He hasn’t had a sip of orange or apple juice, at least not since he was old enough to express a preference. He […]
Read more "I Can See Clearly Now"Ryan has never been able to fully explain to us why certain shots-on-goal totals in NHL games trigger for him bouts of extreme anxiety. Maybe if I understood why it bothered him so much, I could better help him through these episodes, but the explanation doesn’t really matter. What matters is the anxiety is real. […]
Read more "A Safe Space"
Pucks and Puzzle Pieces 