I am often asked why I smile so much. Often, these inquisitive ones are looking only at the difficulties in caring for a medically fragile child as a 24/7 job. I respond simply, “I can either cry about it or laugh about it; I choose laughter.” Humans are social creatures, and humor is one of the …
Sisterhood of the Traveling Dress
Embracing the journey when you’ve been asked to give someone the shirt off your back
HoPE 4 Kate
Hope is a word I never thought too much about, just a word without much meaning. But since 2013 it is a word with a whole lot of meaning, but then written as HoPE. On July 7th 2013 our daughter Kate was born. My pregnancy was uneventful except for a 33 week sonogram …
Can you define normal for me?
Can You Define Normal for Me? There’s More to His Life Than a Wheelchair September 2015 BY A.J. ZENDER On my first day home from college this past spring, bracing myself to live again with my parents as a 22-year-old college graduate, I walked in and saw my dad, just sitting down after work. We …
One of those days…
Ever have those days when you feel as if you have raced into the parking lot on two wheels because you’re running late for a doctor appointment? The Families for HoPE logo on the front quarter panel is a blur; how fast do you imagine he was driving?
I need to warn you that it’s contagious…
As a parent of a child with complex medical needs and the potential for recurring hospitalizations, the very last phrase we want to hear is, “it’s contagious”; however, when it comes to laughter, being contagious is welcomed and encouraged. Laughter is good medicine for a stressed-out, sleep deprived parent. When we laugh, we trigger the …