Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Boys Spring Haircuts - 2013 Edition

Before haircuts - obviously

As promised: photographic evidence from the boys spring haircuts a couple of weeks ago, before and after. And then even some fun together afterwards: goofing around on the Riverside Park cannonballs, a thing that never seems to get old, even if Ethan has long outgrown the playground.

First: Shaggy!


During: Ethan in the chair, Jake checking out his new 'do in the mirror.


And after: Shorn!


Cannonballs!


Happy Spring everyone!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Perspective, again

Photo by Lucky Tran via

I hate this.

My heart is breaking.

For my friends.

For my family.

For perfect strangers.

For my country.

I do not understand people who want to do this.

To inflict harm upon strangers.

To turn a joyful occasion into terror and sorrow.

To kill children.

I know human beings can lose their humanity.

It happens in war.

It happens in homes with the doors closed and everything looking just peachy from the outside.

I understand it with my head.

But not my heart.

Never.

~~~ * ~~~

After a long (for me) hiatus, with my head too wrapped up in other things, I was finally ready to post yesterday. About something lovely that happened with Jake the other day. Something small. Sweet and joyful.

And then Boston.

And then I just couldn't.

And I know life goes on.

But still, we must take pause.

I was walking home with Ethan, after school pickup yesterday, when we heard a man yelling; shouting, screaming on Broadway.

Fearful it was another crazed homeless man (one had badly frightened him a few years ago) I looked about and saw just an ordinary young man with a cell phone.

"No, no, no, no, no! What happened?" he said when words returned after the screams of anguish subsided. "Were is Meagan? Is she all right? Is she alright?"

Ethan and I kept walking. He was concerned. I assumed it was a personal matter, a car accident, maybe.

And then we got home, and Danny told me what had happened.

Ethan wanted to know more, and didn't. And I was torn between sheltering him from the horrors of this world and trying to honestly explain the evils in it without unduly frightening him.

I settled for a middle ground.

And he fell asleep last night easier than I did, sitting benumbed on the sofa, parked before a TV showing me over and over again things I did not want to see or hear yet couldn't tear myself away from.

I have dear friends in Boston. Family. All safe. (There but for the grace...)

~~~ * ~~~

In days to come I will tell you of Jake's small triumphs, of Ethan's growing obsession with Magic the Gathering; share photos of the boys' spring haircuts, talk about how wonderful this year's Listen to Your Mother show is going to be and encourage you to buy tickets.

But today, now, I will simply take my pause.

Reflect on how tiny my troubles appear in the light of larger tragedy.

I am getting tired of how often the world gives opportunity for this sort of perspective these days.

Wishing peace for those suffering.

And light and love to enter the hearts and minds of all those who would do such a thing, rendering the unthinkable, unthinkable once more.


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Autism awareness... acceptance... celebration... whatever Day


Hi everyone. I should have a wonderful new post for you today about autism and my son Jacob. But I don't. Today is the final day of my sons' week and a half long spring break, and I've been too busy being a mom.

Today I could have ignored my son Jacob and written a post or spent the day tooling around the city with him, running errands and enjoying his company. You know which way I went with that.

So instead, you can read the posts I wrote last year: My 1 in 88 or Still Aware and Still Accepting and the year before: Every day is Autism Awareness Day 'round these parts

You can read some wonderful posts my friends have written this year, such as: I'm Aware. and I Got A Name

You could check out the Autism Shines Facebook page and see the faces of so many beautiful autistic folks.

And if you're one of the strangers Jake walked up to yesterday, flashed his sweet smile at and asked to pant like a dog or meow like a cat (then gave a demonstration)? Maybe you're a bit more aware today anyway. 

If you're one of the strangers who smiled back and obliged him? Definitely accepting. And thank you!