eSpecially Ben

This is from one of my dearest and oldest friends, Michele. She and I went to high school together many moons ago. We have managed to stay in touch over the years seeing each other when we can. Her son, Ethan, is a beautiful little boy with a very rare disease - only 100 people have it in the world. She and her family have had a lot to go through over the past few years. Recently, her friends got together to plan a fundraiser to help with some of the financial burden. She recently sent me these words and they affected me so much that I asked if I could reprint them and promote the fundraiser: Actually, we really have nothing to do with the fundraiser...I really have been very private about it but my friend from the gym is a bigwig at a bank so I went to him for advice about our mortgage...We haven't been able to pay it in a year! My friends from the gym all got together and came to me to tell me they were having it for us!! There has been so many kind and generous people...

The week before Christmas, we visited a small town close to where we live, that has a long history of decorating for the holidays. The entire town - businesses and homes - participate by hanging lights, putting out Santas, reindeer and playing music. It is a beautiful sight. This year we were lucky to get a group together of teachers and their families who Ben has known since his preschool days. One family brought along Ben's former classmate. This photo shows them enjoying a bright reindeer together. The other photos are from other sites we saw on our walk. Special Exposure Wednesday , a part of 5 Minutes for Special Needs , is a wonderful way for families to share inspirational photos with others. Each week dozens of sites will post their photos - please check them out.

Ben's class made this piece of artwork. This week, Ben brought home a lot of artwork, and I wasn't sure which one to choose until I saw this one. The theme is "Friends", and each child added their handprint to the paper. The computer program, Boardmaker was used to make pictures that represent Share, Play, Care, Help and Listen. A posting this week on 5 Minutes for Special Needs focused on how all kids need playdates and friends. This artwork seemed to be yet another reminder of how important it is. Magic Marker Monday is a creation through 5 Minutes for Special Needs , a website full of information, blogs and discussion groups. One way to celebrate life is to see it through art, and this site helps us share our children's creative masterpieces. Please check out the site.

A few things happened yesterday that amazed me. At our neighborhood Halloween Festival, Ben was taking his usual rest from his walker by plopping down on the ground. His 1½ year old brother came up to him and offered his hands to help Ben get up. Then Raggs  arrived. He is a 7 foot tall dog who has his own show on PBS. Ben watches this show often. When it came to Ben’s turn to give Raggs a hug, he would not let go. I mean he really would not let go. Ben was giving Raggs probably the best hug he has ever received. After peeling Ben away, Raggs kept coming back to Ben for more hugs. Their final farewell was sad to watch, Ben did not want to leave. I was amazed by the kindness that both Sean and Raggs showed Ben. It started me thinking about how many people helped us get through Ben’s surgery and week of recovery. We had friends who picked up Logan from school, brought us dinner and told us to call if we needed anything. Grandparents offered to help. My sister sent a gift card to ...

One of my very best friends from a long time ago called me last week to talk about her baby who is undergoing testing for medical and developmental issues. Understandably, she is upset, sad, tired, discouraged…all the normal feelings you have when you find out your child has special needs. In the middle of her sharing about her difficult time, she apologized for not being there for me when I was going through the same thing several years ago. She told me she never understood what I was going through until now. She wished she had been a better friend to me back then. I was dumbstruck when she said it. I kind of blew it off and told her not to even give it a second thought. And I meant for her to not give it a second thought. I, on the other hand, have given it many thoughts. I even cried when we got off the phone (and remember I am not a crier.) For someone to say what she said to me meant a lot. I have no anger or bad feelings to anyone who does not understand what we we...

Making friends for any child can be scary and intimidating, but when it is successful, children can meet people who may be a part of their life for a long time. As we all know, friends are an important part of growing up. Children with special needs are no different. They need that experience as well. If your child is non-verbal and/or has physical challenges, it may be a task that involves creativity and planning. Here are a few ideas that may help you get started: Get a class list Ask the teacher if it is okay for them to share the names and contact information of the students in the classroom. This list of names gives you an opportunity to talk with your student about the children in the class. If it seems that your child has interest in a few, you may try contacting the parents. One day while visiting my son’s classroom, I noticed another child putting his arm around my son and trying to sit next to him. I made contact with the mom and we had a “playdate” at our house – playin...