What Are You Afraid Of?

I left the house yesterday without my cell phone, something I never, ever do. Not because I want to be accessible 24/7 to friends and family (sorry folks), but because I learned the hard way years ago that I need to be accessible for my son with disabilities.

As he has become more independent, I have learned to let go in many ways — to let him make mistakes and to make his own decisions. However, I have yet to learn how to be comfortable with being unreachable by phone in the event of an emergency. I wonder if I ever will.

Yesterday, I was more than an hour away from the house when I realized I couldn’t be reached. My heart started racing. My hands were sweating. I immediately began to think of all the bad things that might happen while I was on the road.

Then I reminded myself that our son has a wide circle of support. He has another parent besides me. I am not the only person in the world who can help him if he needs it. But boy did I want that phone.

I eventually returned home and was reunited with my cell. Our son eventually called me, and it wasn’t an emergency. I eventually stopped being scared and worrying about the worst case scenario. But old habits sure do die hard. And the stories behind why we create these habits can be powerful and paralyzing — especially for parents of individuals with special needs.

If this is something that you struggle with, maybe we should talk. Reach out here anytime.

As always, thanks for being here.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear -- not absence of fear. 

-- Mark Twain

Yes Yoocan.

I first learned about this amazing online community several years ago when consulting with its founder, Moeshe Gaon. His experience as the uncle of a young boy with disabilities sensitized him to the need for knowledge, support and resources throughout the lifelong journey of being disabled or parenting someone with special needs. Yoocan now connects more than 1 million people and 1,000 organizations in over 100 countries to help them help each other. I’m a huge fan and hope there’s something here for you and yours.

 

Hiring helping hands

Creating and sustaining a professional caregiving team can be challenging to say the least. Everyone I know who relies upon personal care attendants (PCAs) to help a loved one with disabilities knows what I mean. Here’s a great article with helpful tips for every step of the team-building process. So much of the wisdom shared is universal in nature. Have you anything to add?

 

Reinforcing reading.

I love this simple roll-the-dice game to help enhance reading skills among young people with disabilities. So many ways to adapt and personalize. Clearly, not all assistive tech is high tech.

Making a list and checking it twice.

A unique boutique called The Independence Cafe has opened in Westchester County, NY, at the Palisades Center Mall. It showcases products created by and for people with disabilities, including everything from jams to jewelry, soaps to soy candles. The business model spotlights the unique talents of nearly 20 artisans from throughout the community. Local readers may want to start holiday shopping a little early this year!

 

Another Normal is a newsletter dedicated to helping families with disabilities bloom and thrive. If this e-mail was forwarded to you, please subscribe and join our community. You can also hit the “heart” button at the bottom of this e-mail 🖤 to help others find us on the internet.