When The Trail Ends

At some point the trail ends, and going home is always the hardest part of any adventure. It’s not because I don’t like being home, but the trails are my breath, my life force, and my power source. Please allow me to talk about life off the trails for a moment… Today, my daughter, Melissa, had an appointment to get her wheelchair fixed. She is dependent on her “chair” because she cannot stand, sit, or walk on her own. The...

Thanksgiving, Gratitude, And Earth Angels

Since this is a season of gratitude and giving I’d like to tell a personal story of my family growing up. My parents taught me to be grateful, that wealth has nothing to do with money, and to offer a hand to those in need. They are greatly missed during the holiday season, but their love and lessons remain strong in my heart…. Today I am thankful for my family who raised me and all the challenges we had because...

Finding New Perspective on Top of a Mountain

This is a note I wrote a few years ago after returning from a trip to the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Colorado.  I discovered my perspective at the top of a mountain had everything to do with every day life. It’s all about appreciating everything and everyone, seeing the worth and value in every place and every person. Everything and everyone is perfect, just the way they are! “and I think to myself, what a wonderful world!” What a Wonderful...

Hands Down Hannah

My name is Hannah and I am 34 years old. I am a sister, a daughter, adopted, and I have Down syndrome and autism. I love necklaces, music, karaoke and dancing. And I love hands–holding hands, touching hands, playing with my hands or yours. So many hands so little time. I’m Hands DOWN Hannah! The main thing we would like everyone know is if you know one person with Down syndrome (DS), you know one person with DS. Every person...

My Daughter’s Journey: Decades Later

March is Brain Injury Awareness month and this post serves as a reminder that awareness is something that all of us are learning daily. Brain injury is often a hidden injury making it difficult to understand and treat. For the individuals and families who are living with a traumatic brain injury, awareness is an ongoing educational experience. We strive to bring awareness to those of you who have not had any experience with a TBI so that hopefully you can...

Hospital to Home: The Road to Appreciation

In my early twenties I began having migraine headaches and occasional loss of vision. As the headaches gained intensity and frequency I began experiencing unusual crawling sensations on my face followed by the feeling of ice or water dripping down my cheek, although nothing was there. I knew something was not right and began my five-year-long search for a diagnosis. After a long battery of tests I got the answer, there is nothing wrong, followed finally by, you need to...

My Daughter’s Journey: A Story of Traumatic Brain Injury (Part II: Grief and Loss)

This is the second part of my daughter Melissa’s journey through traumatic brain injury (TBI). The beginning of this journey can be found here. In this section I address grief and loss, and how and when that occurred for me. Grieving is a funny thing (not literally), because just when you feel you’ve reached the end, that place of acceptance, you may suddenly find yourself back at one of the earlier stages. What a long, strange trip it’s been (thanks...

My Daughter’s Journey: A Story of Traumatic Brain Injury (Part I)

I sit here at my computer contemplating hitting the “publish” button with tears in my eyes and heaviness in my heart. Writing and rereading this was difficult to do, but a reminder to me and my husband of why our daughter is here with us, and why we continue to do what we do, fight for what is best for her, feed, bathe, clothe and care for her every need daily. It is because we love her and promised to always keep her best interest in mind that...

Growing Our Family Through Adoption

The decision to adopt was an easy one.   The process of adoption was much more difficult.  The bureaucracy, the agencies, the paperwork, the discussions, the classes, the prying into our personal lives, proved to be exhausting.  The final payoff though, was worth every agonizing moment.  Our Social Worker quietly whispered to my husband and I that she would like to see us in her office after the group concluded.  My thoughts raced, Could there be a problem? Did we get...