I keep coming across "mom guilt" when talking to other moms. It is very REAL! It doesn't matter if it is a pediatric stroke, a heart defect, cerebral palsy...a suicide. For some reason, for many of us, we go to feelings of guilt when it comes to the suffering and challenges our children are faced with. It is time to post this again.... The guilt was overwhelming. Suffocating, at times. The guilt did not help in the fight for my child. It pulled me down. Sometimes it paralyzed me. No way would I have EVER done anything to cause the stroke my child suffered while I was pregnant. The instant love ..read more

I CELEBRATED Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day this year, March 25, 2019! ☘️ Eleven years ago, I sat in the office of a pediatric neurologist who had just examined my 18-month-old child, Brendon. I was there to “rule out” all neurological diagnoses. It was just Brendon and me in that BIG office of the specialist (with a BIG ego – I’m saving that story for the book ). Little did I know I was there to be given a diagnosis that would take every bit of breath that I had out of me - the diagnosis delivering the blunt force. It terrified me. Yet it began to open my eyes, my mind, and my heart to the worl ..read more

With Wix Blog, you’re not only sharing your voice with the world, you can also grow an active online community. That’s why the Wix blog comes with a built-in members area - so that readers can easily sign easily up to become members of your blog. What can members do? Members can follow each other, write and reply to comments and receive blog notifications. Each member gets their own personal profile page that they can customize. Tip: You can make any member of your blog a writer so they can write posts for your blog. Adding multiple writers is a great way to grow your content and keep it fres ..read more

When it comes to design, the Wix blog has everything you need to create beautiful posts that will grab your reader's attention. Check out our essential design features. Choose from 8 stunning layouts Your Wix Blog comes with 8 beautiful layouts. From your blog's settings, choose the layout that’s right for you. For example, a tiled layout is popular for helping visitors discover more posts that interest them. Or, choose a classic single column layout that lets readers scroll down and see your post topics one by one. Every layout comes with the latest social features built in. Readers can easil ..read more

We’ve made it quick and convenient for you to manage your blog from anywhere. In this blog post we’ll share the ways you can post to your Wix Blog. Blogging from Your Wix Blog Dashboard On the dashboard, you have everything you need to manage your blog in one place. You can create new posts, set categories and more. To head to your Dashboard, open the Wix Editor and click on Blog > Posts. Blogging from Your Published Site Did you know that you can blog right from your published website? After you publish your site, go to your website’s URL and login with your Wix account. There you can wri ..read more

Today I am CELEBRATING Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day - March 25, 2019!!!! ☘️ Eleven years ago, I sat in the office of a pediatric neurologist who had just examined my 18-month-old child, Brendon. I was there to “rule out” all neurological diagnoses. It was just Brendon and me in that BIG office of the specialist (with a BIG ego – I’m saving that story for the book ). Little did I know I was there to be given a diagnosis that would take every bit of breath that I had out of me - the diagnosis delivering the blunt force. It terrified me. Yet it began to open my eyes, my mind, and my heart to the ..read more

My children have drilled this way of thinking into my brain. It has been life altering for me! Just think about this... I went from being sad, depressed, and desperate to find worth and meaning all of the time to...being grateful. Seeing beauty in all that surrounds me. On Sunday, I came into the house after raking and cleaning up leaves all afternoon. As the Spear Clan gathered around the island in our kitchen, enjoying homemade chili (that simmered all afternoon on the stove top - created with love by Stephen), I stated, "I absolutely LOVE raking leaves! The colors, the smell, the sounds...t ..read more

"In some cultures, children with special needs are seen as the human form closest to perfection and God, because they are no longer here on Earth to learn, but to teach. In these cultures, the elders all bow down when the child with special needs enters the room." To my heart, this speaks so true. For a parent a child is a beautiful gift, a tremendous motivator and a beautiful blessing. Every day I learn from my children - my spiritual teachers. Every day I learn from other children. Every day I learn from other parents who are facing similar challenges. Every day I learn from parents who hav ..read more

When we get the diagnosis of pediatric stroke (or whatever life challenge it is for you) all we can see is the highest mountain and we believe we must be at the top, NOW. When what we only focus on is being at the very top, we become overwhelmed, afraid and exhausted with the thought of of how to get there. Instead, if we slow down we see that there is more than one way to the top - none of which are easy. It is in the slowing down that we begin to appreciate the path (often times, we even change paths), taking the time to see all that is around us on this journey. It is in the journey that we ..read more

My children started new schools in a new district for the 2017 – 2018 school year, after a move in late Spring of 2017. My son, Brendon, started the 6th grade and my daughter, Adelyn, started the 1st grade. It was not an easy transition for Brendon. I don't use the term "bullying" loosely; nor, do I take bullying lightly. It was during the second semester when Stephen (my children’s father/my husband) and I confronted Brendon about uncharacteristic rage he suddenly exhibited. Breaking down, he told us that he was being bullied at school. In April of 2007, when Brendon was diagnosed with cerebr ..read more