Mikelle and I feel compelled to write about life with a disability, not just the challenges but the opportunities, the friendships, the innovations, and the brilliance of our communities in action as we share our everyday life living with a disability. With a little more information, motivation, we hope to share how our life is shining beautiful and maybe help you to shine beautiful, too.
Simple, Basic, Fun Ways to Win Back our Happiness.
Simple Sometimes it is so simple—a win for a beleaguered and treasured football team and a Halloween party. In these moments, we step back into traditions to reclaim our future by being present in the moment. For Mikelle, her brother, and his family, Sunday’s Bronco football team win in London
Special Education or Special Nightmare?
“One faces the future with one’s past.” Pearl S. Buck So much has changed in those years since we posted that blog COVID, the aftermath of COVID, and serious staffing issues in the schools, not just among paraprofessionals but among teachers and speech and language therapists, bus drivers, and even
Seven Steps to Finding Balance in a Turbulent World.
Balance. Is it possible in these turbulent times? When we think of balance, Mikelle and I see it differently. For her, balance is the lack of chaos and the smoothness of her basic routine. She likes a certain rhythm to her day while avoiding falling into a rut where every
Adventures in Grand Lake, CO
Everyone Needs a Little Time Away. Mikelle’s Vacation. Heck, it has been a long haul with Covid. We were getting cabin fever and decided to hightail it out of the city and into the mountains to a real cabin in the high country. Gone is the traffic, the hustle and
Taking a “MOMcation”.
Why I have to get back to the islands. It is time for a “momcation.” I need a beach, a cocktail, and a whole night’s sleep. Being of the hardy sort, hard work is fine for me. I am of the hardy sort. I was blessed with great energy and
Spring Time Strategies for Self-Care.
Hello Beautiful! Spring is sprouting here in the Rocky Mountain area. Daffodils and forsythia burst with bright yellows, fragrant pink and purple hyacinths delight us as we walk the neighborhood. After that wild March Madness, we hope that we can share our Springtime Strategies for coping and self-care in a
March Madness
March Madness Is it us, or does the “energy” seem weird this month? Wars, inflation, and the unrelenting waves of daily and often dramatic change sculpt our way of living one day without our permission. What happened to freedom of choice? Self-directed change? Violence Confronts our Community As the world
Persistence Pays!
Problem Solving There are few loves we experience in our lives like caring for a family member who experiences a special need. The transformation from disability to ability and back again is miraculous and not well understood unless experienced. A parent can turn the most challenging day into a day
Happy New Year? Will 2022 be Better? The 120 Day Challenge.
Well…..2021 was quite the year. Right? After all the food has been eaten, parties have been partied and resolutions have been made it is finally time to step back and take a breather. The holidays were stressful, there’s no doubt, but they also brought a certain cheer to all who
Holiday Cheer!
Tradition Every year is different, yet the same during the holidays. Tradition abounds at the Shining Beautiful household. So Mikelle’s annual holiday party is not to be missed. Except for last year when holiday parties took a COVID hiatus. Even this year, the darn virus threatens to disrupt as the
Are We Doomed?
Part Two Exhaustion Sets In In last month’s blog post, Mikelle and I lamented that we are still in the middle of a staffing crisis ourselves. Since then, I have met with other parents experiencing some version of this crisis in their own families. Compounding our situation are life
Staff Shortages are Scary. Part One.
It is Friday night, and I have a chance to do a bit of Salsa dancing with friends at a new brewery in town. It has been weeks since I have been with my friends, and I relish the time to relax and renew my wearied soul. The last two