One Thanksgiving season, nothing seemed to go right. Both of my sons suffered in completely different ways. “MacDonald the Older” faced bullies who looked forward to nothing more than terrorizing him, while “MacDonald the Younger” faced hospitalizations that lasted for lengthy periods. Hemophilia took its toll on both…

My seventh-grade son, Caeleb, is the new kid in a small, rural community where everyone has grown up together, so it’s hard to fit in and make friends. He comes home most days with a tale of mistreatment or insensitive comments directed at him. It breaks my heart,…

“MacDonald the Older” and I drove down the road that leads to his college. We stopped at a local restaurant, had a good meal, and then attended a concert together. I look forward to times like these when I get to share some laughs with my adult son.

As I write this, it’s Nov. 1 and we’re observing All Saints’ Day. On this day, I remember my mom, who passed away last June. Her final resting place is many islands away from where I live, so I am unable to pay her a visit. Nevertheless, I offer…

Recently, I took my son to the dentist to have a couple of cavities filled. I knew that the dentist had reviewed my boy’s medical issues with our treatment center, so I felt assured about the procedure. He is an excellent doctor and if I had any doubts…

Perhaps the most important lesson we learn at school is to keep our hands and feet to ourselves. I have thought about this rule every time my sons have complained about an incident at school. I remember my kindergarten teacher, Miss Paula, teaching my class that lesson. Best.

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. Some take the form of needles that terrify young children. Others terrorize us as we battle chronic illnesses. Scary creatures reveal themselves and change us because of the horrors they bring into our lives. Ghosts and shadows leave us breathless and…

My mighty warrior Caeleb is 12 years old and officially an inch taller than me. Every day he stands next to me, checking to see if that inch has stretched. I watch him from my office window, playing with his friends on the street; amazingly, he is turning…

My youngest son continues to celebrate good health. The last time he suffered a joint bleed was in February 2014. A million years seem to have passed since the days of horrific bleeds and endless hospital visits. We used to know every nurse by name on the pediatric…

There is a children’s picture book called “How Big is Baby?” The response to the baby is, “Baby is sooo big!” It is a great book as it empowers our children to know that they are a large part of life. We remind them that the love we…