How often have you survived an extremely difficult season only to realize later on (sometimes much later) that it was really a blessing in disguise? Nikki’s accident, and subsequent recovery, was one of those for me—and for Nikki, as well. For me, it was an opportunity to reconnect with my daughter in a very real way. For months before her …
Extraordinary
Last week, I blogged about the mishaps with my daughter Nikki as she fought the confinements of a hospital bed and being tied down (for her own good). Given her new nickname (Little Houdini) it was with trepidation that we admitted her to an inpatient recovery program in mid-town Sacramento. How would the staff guarantee her safety where she’d have …
Truth is Stranger Than Fiction
In the midst of Nikki’s car accident, subsequent coma and traumatic brain injury, the emotions were like that of a roller coaster—up and down; up and down. Once the initial fear of death was over, there was still the worry about how well she would recover. Her age played a significant role in her prognosis. Had she been even six …
Tragedy to Triumph
Traumatic Brain Injury is a personal issue for me. Within 18 months, both my son and daughter were in accidents which required them to be medic-flighted to the hospital with TBI. In 2002, Christopher took a dramatic dive off his skateboard while traveling down a very steep street—he was showing off for the Japanese exchange students hanging around the church …
Review of When Your Voice Became Mine
About the Book Book: When Your Voice Became Mine Author: Celeste N. Bowers Genre: Non-Fiction Release Date: November 2019 For all those who have lost hope and purpose, and for all those who hurt deep inside from loss, author Celeste Bowers wishes she could spare you from pain, just as she hoped she could shield her own ten-year-old daughter, Christina, …
It’s About Perspective
How many movie-goers do we have out there? My husband and I rarely go—the film has to be one we really want to see in order to shell out nearly $10 a ticket. The first movie I took my daughter Nikki to was The Little Mermaid. The year was 1989 and she’d just turned four. That was the year a …
The Dreaded D-Word
There’s a word that, when uttered, either makes most people cringe or nod in agreement, depending on which end of the spectrum they fall. Discipline. So, which was your reaction—a cringe or a nod? I actually handle the D-word quite well, but I was trained in the art of discipline, first in earning my bachelor’s and teaching degrees while raising …
Review of Daybreak
About the Book Book: Daybreak Author: Beckie Lindsey Genre: YA Fiction Release Date: July, 2019 Every girl has a secret she hopes the light will never find— but the demons already have. Krystal, Mackenzie, Tammi, and Sadie fight a spiritual battle between unseen forces of good and evil that reaches deadly proportions. When Krystal’s relationship with lifelong friend, Bryce, turns …
Back in the Day…
Back in the day… yes, I know, old people start this way when they’re about to tell you how things were during their childhood. I’m not old, however I am closer to 100 than birth, and the gap is closing in at an alarming rate, so bear with me. If you were alive during the 70’s you might remember the …
Review of Darling Hedgehog Goes Down a Foxhole
About the Book Book: Darling Hedgehog Goes Down A Foxhole Author: Auralee Arkinsly Genre: Early reader chapter book Release Date: September 13, 2019 Darling Hedgehog learns about the animal nature of things in high humor and carefree, cute, and winning episodes. This childhood story reads a bit like Aesop’s Fables or a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, for children …
