Christy Everett

A special-needs mama, learning from her micro-preemie son, one awkward step at a time

OK this is the short version. And one of these days I'll come back here and fill you in on more details.

(Maybe.)

So when I'm not following Elias to all his therapy sessions and medical appointments, following Elias on elevator and escalator rides, following Elias on his time frame and his developmental path, I'm trying to make sense of it all...

...not just for him but for me. What does it mean to be a parent of a child with special needs?

And sometimes I do this by putting on my hockey gear and skating after a small black puck.

Or listening to the stories of elders, my Wednesday morning adopted grandparents who know what its like to laugh while you grieve.

Or shoveling snow in the winter and pulling weeds in the summer as an attempt to control one small piece of this unexpected world.

Or calling my friends and family back East and trying to convince them to move to Alaska with me.

And sometimes I do this by writing when the rest of my family sleeps. Like right now.

Night night!