Who am I…?
My story is that I’m a wife, mother, and the oldest of 11 children. My life started in California and has brought me to Utah, Missouri, (where my family lived on a farm without electricity and tried to live off the land), Virginia, Alaska, Washington State, and currently Mississippi, just south of Memphis TN. I’ve visited most of the states in the U.S. I love to experience new cultures, areas of our country, and new people. These experiences I believe, have broadened my outlook and brought me great joy.
I’m passionate about advocating for the disabled and families who have special needs children. I experience anxiety and occasionally depression. My child experiences multiple physical and mental health issues, so when I write about these issues, I do so from this background.
I advocate for changes in schools, in government, and in healthcare. I have spent hours taking classes on disability rights and school services to make sure I understand the processes of how school services work and what the laws are that govern disability rights and access to appropriate education for children like my son.. I’ve been interviewed on TV as I advocated for changes in Medicaid, and again in response to a news story regarding Autism. I’ve headed up rallies and written talking points. However, most of my time has been spent with individual families sharing resources, helping them through IEP meetings, pointing them in the direction of doctors or treatment, and listening, as we need someone who understands what we are going through.
Education
I have a B.A. in Psychology from The University of Mississippi, or “Ole Miss” as it is better known. I minored in Religious Studies as I felt it was important to understand the perspectives and beliefs of other religions besides my own. My story is continuing as I apply for master’s degree programs to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Writing is a hobby, therapy, and a great love for me. I have been privileged to have had my writing appear on MSN, Yahoo, Her View From Home, Scary Mommy, The Mighty, and many other places.
When I think about myself, I consider myself a musician, writer, advocate, mother, sister, wife, and friend. I am a Christian, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Why am I writing?
The best answer is to send you to this former blog post about why I am blogging. I focus my writing here on disabilities, parenting, and a little bit of social justice with a Christian perspective. However, although I write from a Christian perspective, all are welcome here.
When I discovered how hard it was to get services for my son with Autism, I promised myself that the parents coming up behind me were not going to hit as many brick walls as I did. I was going to share with them how to get around the red tape or avoid the brick walls altogether. In 2017, I started blogging as part of fulfilling this promise to myself. I want your story to be better than mine.
Thank you for taking the time to hang out with me here and reading my thoughts, sharing them with your friends, liking my posts, and commenting. While I would still be writing even if no one was reading, getting to share my journey with you makes it that much better.
Want to read more? Subscribe to my blog with your email and you’ll never miss another post. From time to time I do give away gifts to those who follow my blog and have provided me with their email. Need someone to speak on disabilities at your conference? Email me.
Follow me on Facebook. Tweet at me on Twitter. Pin me on Pinterest. Watch videos that I’ve made on YouTube. And I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing on Instagram. (Help me figure out what I’m doing there!) I hope to see you on one of my social media platforms! Come say hi!
