Welcome to Laughing through the Tears: The journey of a mom with a special needs son

Lately I’ve struggled with a question people ask with the best of intentions: “So what’s Wyatt going to do next?”  or “What has Wyatt been doing since he graduated?” I see the looks sometimes when I answer. The head tilts. The wide eyes. “Well… he’s mostly been hanging out with me at home. He plays video games. He loves cleaning things with his Dremel.” And I can almost feel people trying to make sense of that answer. What I wish more people understood is how exhausting Duche

It’s been harder and harder to make myself sit down and write a new blog post. Sometimes the days feel so full — physically, emotionally — that by the time I have a quiet moment, I don’t have much left to give. But then Wyatt will look up at me and say, “Mom, I just love you.” And somehow, that’s enough to steady my heart. Some days are heavier than others. His needs can feel like so much. It’s exhausting in ways that are hard to explain unless you’re living it. There are mom

The past few months have been challenging. I’ve experienced some personal losses, but they came from choosing to prioritize my mental health and removing myself from situations that caused more stress than joy. For so long, I’ve tried to put family and friends first—but in doing so, I realized I was losing parts of myself. Thankfully, I had the support of loved ones who encouraged me to choose me . That support gave me the strength to refocus and let go of the heartache. It h

Can you believe it's been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina? Back then, Patrick and I hadn't even been married a year. We were in the...