I’ve been rethinking things. This week has been difficult. For me, but for my extended family most of all. One of our family members has advanced Alzheimers and after 54 years of marriage, the very very difficult decision has been made to finally place her, gently, in a home. Being a carer takes so much…
On reflection
I hug my dad tightly and as I do, tears spring to my eyes. This takes me completely by surprise. In the past, our relationship has been fraught. I have never been able to admit it before, but he and I are so very much alike. Opinionated, hot headed, kind, passionate. We have clashed because…
The ticking time bomb of death
“I have Barrett’s Oesophagus” I look up at Mr C. He has just walked in from being at the gastroenterologist. I am in the kitchen, preparing food. He sits down on the bar stool. “I have Barrett’s Oesophagus,” he repeats. I don’t know what that means. I look quizzically at him. “It’s where the lining…
Autism – we need to ask a different question
“You do know I am the next step in evolution?” Master J says this to me often. He hates it when we watch programs on TV that talk of eradicating autism, like autistic children are the scourge of society. “Why is it that people love X-Men, Mum, want them to win, despite their mutations, but…
The day I chose sobriety
I sat crying in the passenger seat of my car. I was shaking uncontrollably. Outside, the sun beat down, stifling each breath I took. How did I get to this point? Mr C gently took my hand. “If you aren’t ready, we don’t have to do this today.” I shook my head. No, if I…
Storytellers are going to save the world
Do you know what I love? I love storytellers. And I love storytelling. I particularly love storytellers who tell stories about their own lives. I like those moments in time, the snap shots that tell me a little bit about you, the human you, the vulnerable you. And I think deep down inside we are…
Be patient. Be kind. If you cannot, say nothing.
Master J is struggling. Exams are looming and English is proving a bigger problem than we ever imagined. The limitations of autism are increasingly evident. Things that come naturally to us neuro-typicals are an enormous struggle for him. Language, with all of its complexities, its nuances, its foibles, pass him by. He lives in his…
The normality of being bald
Mr C strokes my head. “Does it feel weird?” I ask. “It feels beautiful.” he says, and then as if to drive home the point he kisses it repeatedly. “Is it like kissing stubble?” I ask. “It is like kissing you,” he replies. 18 months have passed since I decided to shave off my hair…
Intellectual property is mad
I tiptoe across the internet trying to find some voice of reason. Noise. Just lots and lots of noise. “That blog copied my blog post!” “They used my photo without my permission!” “They want me to write and not even pay me for it!” “They want my advice for free – how dare they?” “My…
The Rolling Pin
“I think I will bake.” I say to myself. It is uncommon for me to want to bake – I have never been good at baking – but I am at home on my own, and slightly bored. I am reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and feel the need to create something. I’ve seen a…