Columns

Brockman Bears, Together Again

What seems a lifetime ago, my husband, Randy, and I decided to return to school for our teacher certifications. After quitting our joint job at a residential facility for at-risk teens, Randy went first. To pay the bills, I applied to be a substitute teacher. I requested…

Life Moves Forward Despite Setbacks

The old saying, “You don’t know what you have until you lose it,” rings true these days. We took our accessible van to Superior Van and Mobility in South Bend, Indiana, about two hours from our home. They diagnosed the problem with the ramp…

Why I Have Such a Strong Affinity for Football

If you are an avid football fan like me, I have great news. We don’t have to endure a Sunday without football for the rest of the year! Typing this makes me giddy, for it is the most wonderful time of the year in my playbook. However, I once would…

Ella Is Happy When She’s Singing

“I’m so excited,” Ella kept saying the afternoon before her first rehearsal with the Young Naperville Singers. When it was finally time to leave, we loaded her and her manual wheelchair into the van. (The broken door on the ramp side means we cannot…

Turn the Page Already!

For most people, lifting weights is a suitable form of physical exercise. For me, successfully turning just one page of a book makes me feel like I’ve run a marathon. It’s a special kind of feat if I manage to flip through a thick paperback on my own.

On Letting Joy and Pain Coexist

Last weekend, my cousin, sister-in-law, and I had a girls’ night out. We picked a spot in a cute, historic town, ordered espresso martinis, desserts, and cheered a summer well spent and our not-so-little cousin turning 21. I cherish moments spent with my family, for I understand how blessed I…

Baby Steps: Breaking Free from Analysis Paralysis

2018 was my best year in a long time. I acquired a JACO robotic arm, got more work, and made a little more money. This January also saw a couple positive developments: I spoke at church and began “Ryan’s Robotics” for the SMA News Today YouTube channel. Things seemed…