Ariana's Posts
343 posts
To G.R.- muito amor e gratidão. The first time we ever sat down to have a conversation between the two of us about 4 years ago, G.R. looked deep into my eyes and saw what nobody else around me was picking up on- I was stressed out of my mind and internally splintering out distress
Some days, my body feels like a cup of herbal exhaustion tea over-steeped, having been forgotten in a steady steam of distractions to become saturated with fatigue and aches. There can be no denying that frequently Tony’s therapy sessions and outings end up looking like extra workouts for me. Sometimes when people witness or see
In our church, like every other group in existence, there are some aspirational stereotypes for achieving personal excellence. If you are unfamiliar with our cultural orthodoxy for women, allow me to introduce you to our modern near-mythical maven. Please do not criticize her for trying to be all of these things, she’s under enough pressure
Change is like an erratic pulse…sometimes the beats are slow and the space between can stretch out, only to sprint wildly towards a rapidly winded staccato. This has been a month where we’re experiencing more changes and emotionally I’ve been a bit more breathless, as two of Tony’s providers (Madi and Rosette) have accepted
To The Fab Duo, Jennifer and Stephanie Jennifer and Stephanie are the Clinical Supervisors for the ABA and habilitation portion of Tony’s therapy programs, and are responsible for recommending and designing therapy tasks to teach a wide variety of things, plus providing feedback on ways Whitney and I can improve therapeutic techniques and interactions with
After I finished last Sunday’s update, I promised family and friends I would keep today’s post shorter to compensate for that extra bit of reading. I know each of you have busy lives, and the words in my head can multiply on a screen quicker than dust bunnies for a pet owner. But I promise
This past Friday our family received confirmation in writing via e-mail that Tony’s redetermination of eligibility for services under the Division of Developmental Disabilities in our state has finally been approved. While we are pleased this matter has been resolved, this has been a process I personally have found to be far too difficult and
As I have mentioned previously, when it comes to successfully working with Tony, his bond with a person matters. Evidence of this can be seen in many areas, and currently he is at his most cooperative only with the people he has more trust in. This is something that always has to be respected when
When people meet Tony in an environment he’s less threatened by, I am often asked: “Is he always this active?” I can only go with the truth here, and that would be…Yes. Now go ahead and close your eyes, imagining that word as a flashing neon sign. While Tony certainly struggles to do certain movements,
Catzilla. His Royal Fluffiness. Dickens the Destroyer. Best Friend. Cat Moose. Hero. Villain. Like many of us, Dickens was complex. To the members of our family he was different things at different times (as we all are to the people around us), but at the end of the day he was loved from the first
