Tobin, You are turning 10.Ten years old! Double digits! I can’t even believe it. You’re getting so much taller. Those scrawny legs stretching so long, when I hold you, it looks like I’m barely lifting you off the ground! Your permanent teeth are filling out your smile, and you and I wear the same size... Continue Reading →
This is a crazy time of year. So many deadlines.So many activities.So many people. It’s a time when it’s easy to get caught up in all the things you have to do. The reason for the season is about thinking of other people, so we shop and we wrap and we go and we do... Continue Reading →
The day you left us, your Joseph’s Coat was in full bloom. Just like you said it would, the rose took on different colors, bright reds on the tips sliding down through oranges to its yellow ruffly center. Dew on the edges, reflecting the sun. Somehow I know I would have never noticed those intricacies... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— A little old lady called my son an asshole. Actually, she wasn’t that little and the term she used to describe Tobin was “asshole kid.” She was standing right beside my un-invisable, hearing-enabled son. She looked right at him and said it like it was this hilarious joke between her and the lady who... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— The last thing I remember is my vision getting a little “funky.” It felt like I was about to get a migraine. (Years ago, when I frequently had migraines, I would see a light—one of those lights you see after staring into a light bulb—and then my vision would get “funky.”) I remember thinking,... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— Earlier this week, we unexpectedly lost one of the matriarchs in our family: my grandma. It wasn't until I was visiting her in the hospital, reflecting after her death, and processing everything to write her eulogy that I fully realized the impact she made on my life. On Mother’s Day, we celebrate the women... Continue Reading →
—Tobin and Anna-Marie— Our son Tobin is a sweet, determined, loving, and ornery little six year old. He is also nonverbal and on the autism spectrum. A couple of years ago, we made a little video and had our son Knox introduce his brother, explaining Tobin’s likes, dislikes, strengths and struggles. These were based on... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— March is coming to a close. We are in full-on spring season. (My allergies agree but the weather is arguing.) And things are heating up. It seems like most everyone I talk with is going through an incredibly busy and stressful and hard season right now. Whether you are in the rhythm of a... Continue Reading →
—Brian— Ok… I’m going to admit it. I watched the Disney movie Tangled… And I liked it. Mainly I liked the movie because of the lantern festival scene that takes place near the end of the movie. Again admitting... I got a little teary-eyed when the first lantern reflected in the water and then all... Continue Reading →
—Brian— -A Note on Marriage and Hard Things- I don't completely remember the first time I met anyone. Except Anna-Marie… It was the beginning my sophomore year in college. She was a freshman. I was talking with a friend of mine in the back of a meeting before it started and she walked in. She... Continue Reading →
PURSUING TOB 