Our Hidden Stories

Introduction to Special Needs Parenting

Introduction to Special Needs Parenting by Joanna Kent Recently I read a beautiful story. The story goes like this. Outside of the hospital, a man is watching as a mother helps her son into the car. The man repeatedly asks if this mother needs help with her 20 something-year-old, who’s larger than she. She kindly declines and even says this is normal, so no worries. In a surprise twist, the

When Your Child Has No Words

When Your Child Has No Words by Joanna Kent Every night, like clockwork these days, I hear the sounds of my son as he begins the cycle of waking up. It starts around midnight. Then on and off for hours, he wakes, then goes to sleep, then wakes. During these times, I feel the deepest of my sadness that my son doesn’t speak. Most people would assume that a 5-year-old

Grief in my Gratitude: My Son is Turning Five

Grief in my Gratitude by Joanna Kent Five years ago, with only a few hours of labor, my son came into this world. He was bigger than his sister, quieter than his sister, and in that brief perfect moment that he entered this world, our family was complete. On his first birthday, we had a big party, just like we had done for his sister. I jokingly would say it

#Self Care

What is Hope

Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Oxford Dictionary When the idea for Our Hidden Stories started, it didn’t have a name, but it did have a concept—that it was okay to not always have a positive message. This idea can be disturbing for some people, and it can be sad for others. However, it can also be a sigh of relief for a parent or caregiver who feels overwhelmed, overburdened, and downright

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