Helen Baldwin lives in Jefferson, North Carolina, with her husband, Randy plus their two dogs, a cat, and untold wild critters outside. Their firstborn’s family, including two delightful children, lives just down the road, so she enjoys lots of MomMom time. Helen and Randy have a rental cabin and bees, among numerous other endeavors, so they’ll never be bored. Life took a drastic twist in 1997 when their third baby, Jeffrey, was diagnosed with SMA type 1. Although their active stint with SMA was brief, Helen hopes that sharing and connecting experiences after Jeffrey’s death, usually with optimism, helps others endure the unpredictability of loss and recovery.On the afternoon of July 7, 1997, a sickening thud and screams hailed from the front yard. Our older children, Matthew, 10, and Katie, 7, had been playing with our two dogs when one of them, Duffy, darted to chase the mail carrier’s vehicle. The mail carrier couldn’t avoid hitting…
My mother dubbed me a Pollyanna many years ago. I loved the 1960 movie “Pollyanna,” but don’t remember if I identified with the orphaned character’s perpetual, cheery optimism or merely adored Hayley Mills, the actress who played her. In one scene, Pollyanna (sent to live with her wealthy,…
In May 1997, my husband, Randy, and I awaited the arrival of our third baby. The ultrasound indicated we were having a boy. We named him Jeffrey. Years before, I’d taught at Brockman School, a self-contained setting for students with orthopedic and myriad other conditions considered severe and…
Starting with Brownies in second grade, my stint in the Girl Scouts lasted five years. The Girl Scouts’ motto is “Be prepared.” As the firstborn, Taurus child of teacher parents, that came easy for me. Growing up, I tended to be generally organized and responsible — a dream…
Years ago, I taught kindergarten at a self-contained school for students with orthopedic and other disabilities. My charges were animated, and my assistant was delightful. At the end of my fifth year, my students were all mainstreamed to regular elementary schools, leaving me classless until days before the following year…
My husband, Randy, and I had our first baby while I was teaching students with a variety of difficult diagnoses. Our son, Matthew, was followed three summers later by our daughter, Katie. During both pregnancies, I never worried that they wouldn’t be healthy. Then, before I blinked too many times,…
The revelation that my husband, Randy, and I were becoming newborn parents again called for a comprehensive to-do list. Our other children, Matthew and Katie, were in elementary school. With no intention of needing baby items again, we’d kept nothing. Katie, then 7, ecstatically helped me rectify that dilemma,…
In September 1995, my parents began running the family’s newly acquired lodge on the stunning Blue Ridge Parkway. My husband, Randy, our two children, Matthew and Katie, and I lived about an hour away at the time. I drove up every day to help with lodge business. As the parkway’s…
My husband, Randy, and I moved our family to the North Carolina mountains in the final hours of 1995. Adventures in our old farmhouse commenced immediately. We considered a newsworthy blizzard and the escape of two flying squirrels from the wall into the dining room ample excitement for a long…
I learned my vision needed assistance in fifth grade. Although I unwittingly squinted at the chalkboard, my report cards never indicated a problem. I was a model student because I adored my teacher, Mrs. Chandler. I didn’t want to disappoint my teacher parents, either. They never needed to prod me…
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