Without a doubt, the best part of Blissdom for me was that I left with a sense of purpose. For the most part, there’s no one in my day-to-day life that has any desire to talk about my blog. They don’t know what Twitter is and I’m sure they don’t understand the drive I have to regularly discuss my life with strangers. At least one person laughed out loud when I told them I’d spent the weekend at a blogging conference.

Blissdom was the polar opposite of that. I talked and talked and talked and somewhere in the middle of all that, I realized what I’m doing here and better yet, what I want to do here.

Please bear with me as the sappiness factor is about blow sky-high.

I believe that my life is good–not perfect–but good. I believe that the problem with disabilities isn’t the disability, but the rest of the world–a world that doesn’t see the good and the beauty in difference. A world that isn’t ready to embrace the unfamiliar. I’m not interested in a pity-party. I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. I have crappy days, but I had those before Charlie and I’d have them if his brain had never bled and his heart had never failed.

I want this place, this space to be a resource–a place of inspiration, a place to learn a little something, a place of encouragement.

My first two years of college I lived in a dorm. On any given day, you could take a stroll and find someone else who was worried about their classes, who had relationship problems, or maybe just someone to go to the cafeteria with you. I remember staying up late, talking in the hallways and stairways about whatever was on my mind at the time.

I want this blog to be like that dorm. If only five people read it, then that’s fine. I’m not blogging for money or recognition–I’m blogging for community. Blissdom made that clear for me and also made me realize that it’s OK to be that kind of blogger. I can’t be anyone else no matter how hard I try–I can only be me.

So here it is, my mission: I want live joyfully. I want to encourage others to do the same. I want to help other special needs mothers enjoy their children and maximize their potential.

Who’s with me?

• Met TONS of people. TONS. People like me, people not like me, and everything in-between. I like people, so this is good. I got to meet Allison from No Time for Flashcards who I’ve been chatting with on Twitter–she’s got a Canadian accent! So cute.
• I met Ellen, another person blogging about raising a kid with special needs. Ellen has a 6’4″ line backer personality packed into a five-foot frame. The woman is a complete fire cracker.



• I met Shamarr Allen–a trumpeter that my husband and I completely adore. He was actually there to play with Harry Connick Jr., but I was more excited about him. I told him I had his CD and he looked at me like maybe I’d had too many cocktails.



• I learned SO much. I learned about writing, being professional, having a footprint–all sorts of stuff.
• I also got to meet a lot of really well-known bloggers which is just cool. I met MckMama, Redneck Mommy, Megan at Velveteen Mind, and Cecily.

The Bad:

• I forgot my deodorant, so I kept sneaking back to the room to wash my under-arms with soap and water. SO embarrassing.
• I lost my wallet with my license in it. Some very trustworthy person turned it in to lost and found, though, and I got it back with twenty-three dollars still in it. I didn’t even know I had twenty-three dollars! Getting it out of lost and found was a trick and it made me about an hour and a half late leaving the hotel.
• I learned so much that I’m sure I will be busy for months implementing all information. I’d love to sit down RIGHT NOW and get it all done, but I’ve got this kid and he keeps wanting me to feed him and play with him and stuff.

The Ugly:

• I was crazy-tired on the drive home. Luckily, I had books on tape and they kept me afloat.
• I don’t think Charlie had one bath the entire time I was gone. Not one. I thought that was bad until I realized. . .
• He was wearing the same shirt I left for him to wear on Thursday. Scary, no?

Charlie after the Saints big win. He didn’t know what was going on, but everyone else was happy, so why not smile?

Pictures of me courtesy of Ellen.