Casandra

Casandra, when you first came to meet our family more than a year ago, I was scared to hope that this was a job you would be interested in taking. I laced up emotional armor to shield my heart from disappointment, and instead found blessings and more reasons than I could ever list to be grateful. Thank you for choosing time and again to work with Tony. He soaked in the depths of your patience and it is clear to me that our son loves you for that. I am so grateful that you always cheer him on, and genuinely believe in his ability to do more and continue to grow.

Tony and I are both grateful for your positive attitude and willingness to help out even when he wants to still do community safety in the pouring rain. I will never forget how everything was completely soaked but my spirits because of how cheerfully you handled that situation. And on a personal note, I really appreciate that you help me practice my Spanish speaking skills with you while we are discussing some of Tony’s therapy programs without judgment when I get something wrong.

Thank you, Casandra. For everything you have done to continue to help our little man build a better future for himself, there will never be words with enough grace to capture everything that is in my heart. Tony and I both thank you.

Some Reading & Viewing To Consider

For the past couple of months I personally have been spread very thin and my stress level has been very high. I have not completed the reading of larger works of any kind, so I am just presenting a couple brief “food for thought” items this month. You can click on the titles for links.

“Are clear masks the way to clearer communication? The deaf community isn’t so sure,” by Abby Haglage

I think this article has many important points for anyone considered “typically functioning” to internalize. I think there is validity to the concerns presented therein about how the needs of those believed to be disabled usually aren’t considered in pandemic planning, and indeed some standard healthcare practices in general.

“The Surprising Science of Happiness,” Ted Talk by Dan Gilbert

This is something Andy shared with me, and having watched it with him, I think it is worth passing on and sharing with each of you given everything that is going on in our communities right now. I think the data he presents may be surprising to some, and I believe his point about our ability to synthesize happiness is worth considering. But right now, I am going to cut this short and end here so that I can go practice creating some happiness for myself on the ukulele, and I hope each of you are able to take some moments to invest in your own mental and physical well-being… in whatever way feels restorative and meaningful to you.