debdebates

preparations

“Would you stop talking?” Micah asks, glaring at the tall thirty-something man in white coat and glasses standing beside his hospital bed. I don’t have to ask why Micah is irritated. The sticky tape keeping Micah’s IV in place was the first thing I noticed when I’d entered this small enclosure through the white curtain. […]

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almost home

I’m tired. Tired of late nights waiting for Micah’s blood sugar to come down, tired of changing failed insulin pods (there’s been too many lately), tired of the tedious process of calling or going online for replacements, tired of anxiety, tired of the friction it causes in our family. So very tired of not being

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moving on

Micah opens the passenger door to our light gray Bronco looking like he’s lost his only friend; his eyes are moist, his cheeks streaked with tears. It’s 12:30pm on the last day of high school. I had sensed melancholy in his voice over the phone. “Mom, they said I can go home early. You can

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let’s party

An organized mess lies atop the built-in credenza behind our long light wooden dining table. This is operation central for planning Micah’s graduation open house celebration. At full chaos, there were piles of graduation announcements and white envelopes, a large notebook filled with lists, post-it notes, my black calendar book, a couple packages of two-sided

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the home stretch

“I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m really grieving this year,” a good friend says to me as we stand in the grocery aisle holding cans of soup on a Tuesday afternoon.  “I get it. I’ve been feeling that way for the last two or three years,” I tell her, my eyes

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Inner peace

On Sunday morning, Micah and I sit across from each other at the white-topped island in our kitchen. We eat fluffy yellow scrambled eggs, oven-crisped bacon, and wheat toast with low-sugar apricot jam. I bring my flowered pink coffee mug to my lips and look at my son, still in his navy plaid flannel pajama

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rise of the guardians

In six months, Micah will be eighteen. In six months, he will be able to make important life decisions without our supervision. In six months, he could leave home and try to live without our protection. In six months, he could decide he wants to manage his diabetes care by himself. In six months, he

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emotional rollercoaster

Micah has always had a passion for movies. It’s a rare day when he doesn’t talk about some character or scene or song from a soundtrack. He especially enjoys talking about actors. Tom Holland, the latest SpiderMan, is a recent favorite, not to mention the late Chadwick Boseman, who played the main character in the

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who needs friends?

“Do you want to say prayers tonight?” I sit next to Micah on the edge of his royal blue not-nearly-long-enough bed and take his hand in mine. Our black lab mix, Midnight, stares at me with her big brown eyes as she rests her head on the pillow next to him. The sight of them

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cues

“Make sure you check your blood sugar before going on stage,” I told Micah as I pulled next to the curb closest to the performing arts wing of his high school. The sun was just peaking above the horizon at 7:00 a.m., the hour the theater director had called his cast and crew. This morning

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