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Category: Uncategorized

Home is a Privilege

A man in a green shirt and gray shorts sits on a wooden deck holding a colorful bouquet of flowers, smiling in the sunlight. The background shows part of a house and some outdoor equipment.

When I was in graduate school for social work, I interned with an agency that went out into the community and visited adults with mental health challenges and intellectual/developmental disabilities in their homes. On my first day, I was paired with a provider and we drove out into the country to take medication to a young […]

Mother’s Day Thoughts 2024

Three people stand side by side on a dirt path overlooking a green forest. The person in the middle has their arms around the other two, and all three are facing away, looking at the scenic view.

Mother’s Day is just a few steps behind me, and, as a flower farmer in the busiest of seasons, I am still catching up with my thoughts after a lovely, and somewhat crazy, whirlwind of a week. I‘ve had a few moments today to find space for reflection, and as I think many mother’s do, I […]

Thoughts on a Label

A person stands on a small, modern wooden balcony with metal railings, looking out thoughtfully. The building features clean lines and large windows, surrounded by tall trees. The image is in black and white.

It’s 5:30 am and I hear a beep from the front door that lets me know someone has unlocked the alarm code. A moment later, my bedroom door opens and Raimee comes in (he lives in the house next door) and sits down on the bed. “Mom?” He is visibly upset and wringing his hands and […]

Not Impossible

A person wearing a tie-dye shirt tends to young seedlings growing in trays inside a wooden greenhouse with natural light streaming in.

I never wanted to be a family that had a tv in every room. We moved to the country because we wanted to expose our kids to an environment similar to the ones we enjoyed as children, surrounded by trees and water and sunshine. (We cheerfully opted out of snow.) Our kids did not have computers, […]

Thinking About Loneliness

A person in a blue hoodie and khaki shorts bends over to pick or examine flowers growing in a greenhouse garden, surrounded by lush green plants and trees visible in the background.

I’ve been thinking a lot about loneliness. In my daily reading and listening to podcasts, loneliness seems to be a sentiment that is moving through our cultural spheres at an alarming rate. On some days, it feels as if I can almost reach out and touch the loneliness in the air around me. It’s unsettling. Maybe […]

Just As I Am

A close-up of evergreen branches with green needles, red berries, dark green holly leaves, and small clusters of blue berries, creating a festive and natural arrangement.

I’m not letting go Said one leaf to its neighbor I’ve held to this branch And I’m bound to my labor I’ve held my position I’ve weathered the thunder I’ve mastered the art Of not going under Despite the harsh wind And the challenging weather I’ve held to this branch And I value my tether […]

Acceptance

A metal plant marker labeled ACCEPTANCE stands among young green plants growing in a garden bed covered with black landscape fabric. Curved white supports and blurred plants are visible in the background.

I remember the days when folks were offended by labels. I was told in 1998 that if I described my son as having autism or being autistic, I was boxing him into a small space that would limit his potential or the way others would choose to support him or see him as a capable […]

Response to an Inquiry

Two people stand close together outdoors, eyes closed, heads touching and leaning on each other in a moment of peaceful affection. Sunlight filters through trees in the background.

The Southeastern Social Care Collective is a new venture, aimed at launching innovative and out-of-the-box initiatives because we believe that the existing social service system is broken and perpetuates a cycle of hardship and marginalization for our loved ones with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. While we intend to one day offer a multitude of programs, […]

Muddy Waters

A person with sandals relaxes on a river, their feet visible in the foreground. Green trees line the riverbanks and a metal train bridge spans the water under a partly cloudy sky.

During the COVID shutdown, our family spent pretty much every Saturday on the river. It came to be a favorite way to spend a day that didn’t diminish once the world opened up again. In fact, it’s become somewhat of a necessity, even more so now when life can be busy and overwhelming and I […]

Taking Inventory

A smiling young man in a Mickey Mouse shirt stands with a woman who is looking at him fondly in front of a Disney castle, surrounded by other park visitors and colorful decorations.

Two weeks ago, I took a hard fall and broke my shoulder. While the injury itself has been inconvenient and has impacted, to a rather significant degree, my ability to fully engage in my work as a flower farmer and designer, it is the timing of such an injury that feels devastating.  It is spring, […]