...if you care to share...

"...if you care to share..."

Hi5!
We are sharing an interesting, introspective, heart-felt request from one family to other families with special needs.
Kindly review the entire request before replying or submitting a written entry.  Thanks.

via Kbj Cosse'  "no longer just crying... ADVOCATE!"

Jessica Steiner

Dear Families:
Consider this a CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
I’m delighted to announce that I am developing a collection of writings for special needs families on the topic of forgiveness, and I am opening it up to your creative contributions.

The idea of this collection is a kind of parenting book, except with no system. It's for people who experience special needs parenting as intuitive, passionate, and autonomous, people who give it all and falter anyway and understand that as parents, we have no choice but to get up tomorrow and get back to it. To do that, we often have to forgive ourselves, for our frustrations and failings, and forgive the kids for all the ways they make it tough.

I feel that in the space between books like "My Baby Rides The Short Bus," "Gravity Pulls You In," and "Seeing Ezra," which are groundbreaking truth-tellers, we still need something that speaks to the process of parenting and pain, evolution and liberation, in our lives. That's what I hope to accomplish here.

I also hope for this book to help enrich the dialogue regarding 'resentments across the spectrum,' and to create an atmosphere where individuality gains traction over labels.

If you look at the introduction to the book, which I've posted on my blog, you'll get an idea what I mean. The book will include essays like this one, which explores the topic and experience of forgiveness personally.

http://sweetsweetanimal.blogspot.com/2011/09/parents-book-of-forgiveness.html?m=0

Also on the blog, you can read my post 'The Hundred-Dollar Haircut,' which represents the kind of anecdotal, advice-based pieces I am seeking. These should tell a story of how parents responded to a problem their child faced, how that response did or didn't work, and carry to the parents the message that, 'Even if this doesn't work for you, and it may not, you're still a good parent, and you're doing enough.'

I am particularly seeking pieces by non-white writers, as these voices are underrepresented in the special needs parenting community, however, all work is welcome; I need to hear from all of you.

Submissions can range from 1,200 to 5,000 words, or 5 to 10 pages, and should be sent as a Word document attachment or in the body of the email, to my direct email address, by or about Jan.1.

Jsteiner70@gmail.com

SWEET ANIMAL: The Parents' Book of Forgiveness - Introduction sweetsweetanimal.blogspot.com

Wow.. I'm speechless and amazed. And grateful that you loved your child enough to make sure you found out what's up. There should be NO guilt.

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