The maiden and I went on a little road trip last week to pick up some rain gutters someone was giving away. I asked her to come along as I was going to have to the hatch open on the back of the car, with them hanging out, and I just wanted her to hang … Continue reading Connecting with Gutters
It’s strange and wonderful... even magical how the world works. After having a really defeating week last week, Monday arrived and the universe sent me a message to remind me that even in the middle of difficult times, if we remain open, we can find moments of magic to lift our spirits. This week is … Continue reading Our Magical Day
I've been thinking about grief and loss for awhile now. We know many caregivers for individuals with FASD experience grief and loss. We hear others say, "Oh, that's grief and loss!" - but what do we really know about it? Most of the information available on grief and loss is about death. Or in relation … Continue reading FASD: Grief and Loss for Caregivers
According to Merriam-Webster: Definition of self-regulation the act or condition or an instance of regulating oneself or itself: such as; Self Regulation: the bringing of oneself or itself into a state of order, method, or uniformity emotional self-regulation. We know individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder often struggle with self-regulation, which can lead to many … Continue reading Self Regulation in FASD and me
What follows is part of a presentation my daughter and I made to an FASD Caregiver Group; she spoke about Life with FASD and below is my presentation on being an advocate. When I started this journey of being a mom to a child with FASD all I knew was what caused it. I knew … Continue reading FASD: What I’ve learned so far.
The maiden went to visit her birth mother for a week. This was the longest visit. Up until now most visits have been a weekend, but she said she wanted to go for a week, so that is what she did. I didn’t realize I would still feel so emotional about it. The night before … Continue reading A Tale of Two Moms
I'm feeling very down and defeated and alone lately. I've shared a lot about the maiden (and myself in the process) but to be fair maybe I should dig a little deeper and share more of myself. This isn't a self-pity post - at least that isn't the intent. But I haven't been too active … Continue reading One is a lonely number
As I was scrolling through the Our Sacred Breath Facebook feed, I came across an organization that reposted an article The Mighty published - which was based on a post from last year: 12 Wishes for My Daughter and FASD. In the four years I've been writing this blog, this has so far been the most … Continue reading 12 Wishes for FASD: A Year Later
Today for many students, it's back to school after the summer break. For the maiden as well. Only she is off to College. So Day 4 on my Red Shoes Rock to Stop FASD journey is dedicated to my daughter. Because after all, she is the whole reason I started this journey. Before she came … Continue reading Red Shoes Rock Day 5: Back to School
The maiden's life has been a series of good-byes and losses. The loss of her birth family when she was brought into care. The loss of her foster family and friends when she was adopted and moved away. The loss of pets, people and friendships throughout her short life. All have impacted who she is, … Continue reading Loneliness and loss: a lifetime of good-byes
