Category Archives: Family News

It’s never too late to be who you might have been. ~ George Eliot The other night, my husband and I were talking after we’d put our daughter Lucy to bed. He said something funny, and I laughed. He cocked … Continue reading →

Sometimes, in the very early hours of the morning when everyone is still asleep, I think I hear our bedroom door creak open slightly, followed by soft footsteps on the floor. I wonder if you are coming to crawl into … Continue reading →

One day when Andy was still with us, my husband’s aunt called to check in. I answered the phone. She asked me how the baby was doing, and I enthusiastically said, “He’s great!” And, to me, he was. He wasn’t … Continue reading →

Dear Lucy, Today, you celebrate your first birthday. Right now, you are toddling around the floor in front of me, playing with your toys. Your brown hair is escaping from its entrapment in pigtails, little wisps of curl tickling your … Continue reading →

Dear Andy, Today marks the second anniversary of the day you became an angel – June 4, 2009. I can’t believe that two years have passed since your daddy and I last held you and kissed you. 24 months. 104 … Continue reading →

On May 17, 2011, Oprah Winfrey featured author James Frey on her show.  During the interview – which mostly dealt with reconciling the controversy over his book “A Million Little Pieces” – Oprah mentioned that his family suffered a loss … Continue reading →

I celebrated my first Mother’s Day as an expectant mom on May 11, 2008. My husband Alan and I were in Ireland for a friend’s wedding, and I was six weeks pregnant. We were so excited about our baby-to-be. My … Continue reading →

For me, Mother’s Day is very bittersweet. As much as I look forward to celebrating my first Mother’s Day with my daughter, my heart aches that I won’t be able to hug and kiss both of my children on that … Continue reading →

I’ve written several posts on this website about the grieving process, which began with our son Andy’s SMA diagnosis. But, I don’t want you to think that our life was devoid of joy during those weeks between the day we … Continue reading →

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. I’m not very religious, but this holiday holds a special meaning for me. Easter was one of the few holidays that my son Andy had the chance to celebrate. Andy was just three months old in … Continue reading →

A year ago today, my friend Laurie J. called me to tell me that her daughter Abby lost her battle with SMA. Having been through the same horror the previous June, my heart broke for her and her husband. I … Continue reading →

Bill Strong just wrote a post called “Getting Out With Gwendolyn…At Some Point, We Just Started Living” (http://www.gwendolynstrong.com/2011/02/getting-out-with-gwendolyn-at-some-point-we-just-started-living.html). If you don’t know who Bill Strong is, you should. He’s the dad of an amazing little girl named Gwendolyn, who happens … Continue reading →

This poem was published  in the December 2010 issue of FSMA’s Directions magazine. It perfectly captures how we hope Andy is celebrating his second birthday in heaven today – he always loved a party! A Birthday Celebration in Heaven I … Continue reading →

It’s the early morning of Christmas Eve. I should be enjoying another hour or so of sleep before my daughter Lucy wakes up, but I can’t. I should be excited for Christmas, but I’m not. I just don’t know how … Continue reading →

Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving, and I’m thinking about all for which I am thankful. On the surface, there is so much – I have a good job that allows me to work from home while I take care of our … Continue reading →

It’s been more than 15 months since Andy passed away due to aspiration pneumonia caused by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). On most days, I feel like I’m getting better at coping with the life he left behind. Thanks in large … Continue reading →

This poem was written in Andy’s memory by his Nana, based on the well-known dragonfly story.  A beautiful poem for a beautiful boy, who always sends us dragonflies to let us know he’s near.

We have to share this amazingly beautiful poem, written by our friend Lynn Agnew, in honor of the birth of our daughter, Lucy Catherine, and her big brother, Andy. A patient wait and fluttered wings A promise of such blessed … Continue reading →