Columns

Our new school yearbook stirred up unexpected grief

Yearbooks are like mirrors that give us a glimpse into the past. As a teacher, I love looking at them. During the school year, I’m so focused on the daily ins and outs of teaching my students that I often feel like I’m on autopilot. Sitting down with that year’s…

I’m coming to terms with another heartache

My family moved to Colorado when Austen, my daughter who last summer passed away at age 9 from complications of Dravet syndrome, was just a year old. We moved to get her access to medical cannabis there, and while I don’t regret that choice, it was hard to take…

Looking back, I chose the perfect name for my late daughter

Austen, my 9-year-old who passed away from Dravet syndrome last summer, was the only one of my children I named. Addisen, her 17-year-old sister, and Atlas, her 11-year-old brother, were named by their grandmother and father, respectively. So when I unexpectedly found myself pregnant with our third child, one…

The emotional return of a beloved dress

None of my children are exactly alike, and I like it that way. Each has an individual, vibrant personality; while one might like theater, another favors video games. Siblings, whether they share the same DNA or not, are not carbon copies of one another. So even though I enjoyed…

Learning anew to find joy in the midst of sorrow

Losing my daughter Austen, who had Dravet syndrome, was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through in my life. There’s no way around that. It doesn’t matter if you know your child is sick, if you know there’s a chance that they’ll die, or if you’ve experienced death on…