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Inclusion?

Posted by mack1014 on Oct 05 2010

Did the title of my blog catch your eye? What are some of the first thoughts or emotions that come to your mind when you see the word "inclusion"? Isabella started kindergarten a little over a month ago, and, of course, we went through the standard IEP meeting and preparations for this new stage in her educational experience. During the whole process, and , in fact, over the past six years of her life, I've consistently heard the word "inclusion". I see it in articles written about special needs families, I hear it during the IEP meetings, and I find it in the literature about raising children with special needs. It is...

Faith

Posted by mack1014 on Sep 16 2010

Thinking about faith is akin to thinking about the meaning of life, or the meaning of happiness, or trying to answer the question "What is my purpose?". Faith is a huge concept that means something entirely different to each of us who encounter and engage the word, and the emotions, ideas, and processes that are behind the term. My wife and I have always shared, and enjoyed, a strong faith in God. I was raised in the Lutheran faith, and became Catholic when I married. Over the years, my own personal faith has given me great comfort, and also caused me to ask some of the most profound - and perhaps unanswerable - questions im...

Acknowledging Our Educators

Posted by mack1014 on Sep 08 2010

Isabella started kindergarten last week, and amidst all the excitement, nervousness, tears, and wobbly photos, the unsung heroes of the day were the teachers. On a special day, where both kids and parents alike are reduced to emotional blobs, the teachers are there to understand, organize, help, encourage, reassure, and advise. And, too often we neglect to let them know how we feel, and how truly appreciative we are. Knowing Isabella as well as we do, it is hard to relinquish trust to just anyone. Especially in the context of Isabella's needs, and understanding that she is still non-verbal, being able to navigate such an eno...

I Can't Believe How Far We've Come

Posted by mack1014 on Aug 23 2010

I can’t believe how far we’ve come, my precious little child. From those first beautiful and frightening minutes when I touched your tiny hand, to now, this one singular point in time, where I gently let go for you to begin kindergarten. I can’t believe how far we’ve come, my precious little child. I never knew if you would speak, and I still don’t know that now. But your heartsong tells me everything that I need to hear, and has comforted me all along. I can’t believe how far we’ve come, my precious little child. Your face is young and beautiful. Mine shows a bit more of the passage of these years. Togeth...

The Little Things

Posted by mack1014 on Aug 03 2010

The past couple of weeks have offered me intense moments of personal reflection. Not sure why, but I welcome the opportunity and have allowed my mind to wander, reaching down into territories of the philosophical and metaphysical. Deep, huh? Truthfully, though, it's the little things that take my breath away. Perhaps I am too hard on myself, but it's my nature. I have very high expectations of myself as a father, a husband, a son, a brother, an uncle, and a friend. Each day holds new adventures, and along with those adventures, moments of exhilarating success and moments of disappointing failures. But, like I sa...

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