My son's middle name is Mandela

Yesterday was Nelson Mandela's 93rd birthday. President Mandela is one of my heroes, a man of incredible tenacity, dignity and compassion. Someone who transcended their situation while incarcerated for 27 years. A man who was able to lead South Africa from Apartheid to a multiracial society. A man who brought reconciliation and the promise of hope to an emerging democracy.

His namesake, my son, is 14 1/2 years old. He has had his own personal battles with mental health and learning differences. When I look deep into my son's eyes, I see incredible tenacity. He has had to do a lot of emotional growing over the last 2 yrs, changing his approach to anger and relationships. As the result of my son's work, he now has a positive relationship with me. He has been able to connect with his father and half siblings. Now he is learning the stories of his father's childhood in Northern Ethiopia and learning more about his culture.

Another incredible part of a journey of the impossible becoming possible.

Saving the good stuff for submissions or....

having massive writers block while experiencing a bit of life on life's terms.

Yes, it has been 9 months since writing on this blog. Many work changes- short term part time work, looking for full time work without success, filing for unemployment and medicaid for my son. Hearing more often than not, "you are a doctor, why are you unemployment."

My son has several chronic mental health problems. Psychiatric hospitalization number 4 during June of this year. Number 5 first two weeks of September. 2 and a half years of sorting out what he has, (bipolar disorder, Tourette's disorder and partial seizures with a bit of asthma). Spending much of my waking hours advocating for resources for school, after school and home, often settling for "hurry up and wait." I am making the hard decisions about residential placement as he is nearly 12 and increasingly out of control.

So, I have dabbled a little with my writing. One of my poems was published this fall in the 2008 Vintage Voices and Vines Anthology by the Redwood Writers Guild. I submitted an essay called, "I believe in coffee" to the NPR program, "This I Believe." It wasn't selected for reading, but was put on the NPR website.

I am hearing the several times weekly refrain from my bibliotherapist,Art, my sisterfriend, Aurora and several others to write, write, write.

Just letting y'all know, I have heard and am making that commitment! My stethoscope is a bit dusty since March 08. Gettin' that 'puter and pen warmed up.

Let the games begin!