Caregiving, Living Life Daily, Marriage, Special Needs Parenting
Cindi Ferrini
Ability to Bounce Back

A parent or caregiver of someone with special needs, needs the ability to bounce back. There was a time we asked each other, “What would it take (not that we want to experience it) for us to hit a breaking point?” We don’t have a list of times we thought we were close, but we do have a few stories that stick with us to help us remember not to quit when things are rough. Here are a few ways we kept mindful of the ability to bounce back.

Ability to Bounce Back
Joe and Cindi Ferrini
Learning To Love Listening

“Learning to listen isn’t a gift; it’s a skill.” “Anytime is a good time to learn to listen.”

These statements are great places to start in the month of “love” as we share cards, gifts, and time with others. It’s a skill that can be learned and we will be all the better for it. In our family, we are still learning and growing in this area both in our marriage as well as with our grown children, their spouses, the grandchildren, and our son with special needs.

Learning To Love Listening
Caregiving, Challenges, Special Needs Parenting
Jenn Soehnlin
God’s Invitation to Share Your Heart with Him

The playground was bustling with laughter and movement, but my boys, then just two and four years old, played in their own quiet way. After a speech therapy session, we stopped at a nearby park, a familiar part of our speech therapy routine when the weather was nice. My older son wandered the perimeter of the playground and discovered sweet gum balls—a spiky green fruit on the gumtree but which dries out and turns brown and drops to the ground.

God’s Invitation to Share Your Heart with Him
Caregiving, Challenges, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Jolene Philo
The Lessons I Learned while Raising a Child ...

The lessons I learned while raising a child with EA/TEF have been many and varied. That’s to be expected since our son was born in 1982 with esophageal atresia (EA) and a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), two conditions that left him unable to swallow and required immediate surgery. Many of the lessons came about as a result of the surgeries and invasive procedures he endured between birth and age 5. Other lessons came later as he became more independent in adolescence and adulthood. I encourage you to use these ten lessons as a springboard for considering what you’ve learned as well.

The Lessons I Learned while Raising a Child with EA/TEF
Caregiving, Challenges, Marriage, Medically Fragile, Special Needs Parenting
Joe and Cindi Ferrini
5 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Strong into the ...

Kingdom Focus is what first comes to mind. Those of us who are married and have someone in our life with special needs for whom we have responsibility (often 24/7 and 365!) know that without focus, we are doomed. AND for those of us who are believers in Jesus, we add to that His Kingdom focus and our part in it.

For us, we have 5 top ways to work on our marriage and keep it strong. There are more, of course, but let’s not get overloaded!

5 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Strong into the New Year!

special needs parents

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Seasons of Growth

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Seasons of Growth

Over the years, I have been through multiple seasons of planting and harvesting skills with my daughter. My daughter is now entering adulthood with disabilities. There are still skills that she needs to develop to make her life easier. The learning does not stop as she ages, however, the pressure I put on myself all of those years is gone. I don’t need to fix issues. I simply need to support her through them. Evana Sandusky writes on her daughter’s growth through the years and likens it to planting seeds and yielding the harvest.

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The Inspiring Giggle

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The Inspiring Giggle

Evana Sandusky writes on her daughter’s joy, and how she is inspired to find joy and hope in her own situation.

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Top Ten Perks of Raising a Child with Disabilities

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Top Ten Perks of Raising a Child with Disabilities

Raising kids with disabilities comes with its own set of challenges and reasons to be grateful. Because this is EA/TEF Awareness Month and our son was born with EA/TEF, my top ten perks of raising a child with disabilities will be slanted in that direction. 

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Faith, Fears, and New Year Planners

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Faith, Fears, and New Year Planners

Evana Sandusky writes on the fears and faith she has for the New Year, as she reflects on a trip to buy a 2024 Yearly planner.

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I Didn’t Want to Learn Hard Caregiving Lessons, but Now I’m Grateful

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I Didn’t Want to Learn Hard Caregiving Lessons, but Now I’m Grateful

My entire life, literally since I was two years old, has revolved around caregiving. Therefore I assumed I was prepared for the challenges our family faced after my mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2008. That assumption proved correct until January of 2023 when Mom entered hospice care. Over the six months leading to her departure from this earth, advocating for her was all encompassing. I didn’t want, nor did I have time to learn hard caregiving lessons. With each passing day I became more grateful for how they drew and are still drawing me closer to God. And so, I want to share them with you.