Category: Joy

Someone to Watch Over Me

4 Comments

Our dog Malka has always been a mama’s girl, but my illness has made her much more attentive. Lately, she can even preempt when and where I am about to roll, and if I hit the “help button” on my power chair, she sprints to my side. I was about to accept her new ESP powers and take her on the talk show circuit when I realized she has been learning the different tones my power chair makes when I press various commands. My wheelchair is training my dog! I am touched by her love and comforted to know that even as I lose my voice, she finds ways to connect with me.

The Kingdom of Childhood

Leave a comment

For some reason, this lovely spring weather makes me remember all the things I love about teaching: morning meeting and yoga, book club and literature circles, zumba and dance breaks every half hour to keep our energy flowing, writing workshops, and of course, just being with the kids. Listening when recess ended in tears, geeking out over Harry Potter, eating lunch together…

Maybe it’s rushing back to me because this is science fair season. I have so many memories of wearing my very best “thrilled and impressed” face for hours during the fair. Then there were the months beforehand when I was a test subject for at least five experiments in which I learned I am not colorblind and I do like chocolate chip cookies.

I miss it all. How lucky I was to spend my days this way before ALS stole it all away.