Taking my first steps

Well, I’ve done it. I’ve finally started a blog to chronicle my unexpected journey as a mom to a child with disabilities.

It’s called “Joyful, Brave & Awesome” for several reasons, but mainly because these are three characteristics I’m aspiring to in my life right now. They are a work in progress, to put it mildly. (Lately, it’s more like “Cranky, Overwhelmed & Sweatpants-clad”, but that didn’t have the same ring to it.)

Joyful, Brave & Awesome is a place where I’ll focus on my attempts to stay positive (but real) as I navigate this new season of my life.

I’ll be talking about everything from cleaning up feeding tube explosions, to understanding the secret language of medical acronyms parents are just expected to know, to what I’m reading right now.

There also will be frequent 90’s boy band references and The Office quotes, so just accept that and move on.

You’ll notice I did not say this blog will share my child’s story. There is a reason for that: It’s not mine to tell. I have complete faith that my son – known simply as JB on this blog – will one day be able to communicate on his own behalf. In the meantime, I’m respecting his privacy. I’ll give some background to his diagnosis in a future post.

Other things this blog is NOT going to be the place for:

Shaming or judging other parents for their decisions.
Suggesting alternative therapies or treatments.
Selling products and services, unless explicitly endorsed by me. (I may from time to time include affiliate links or ads, but these will be clearly labeled.)
Pushing religious or political views onto others (though politics will be discussed in relation to special needs issues.)
Derogatory language of any kind.

So are you still interested in joining Team Joyful, Brave & Awesome? Then read on; I’m glad you are here.

(Photo by Suzanne Madore)