Mental Health
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Memories from Clemson: A Journey of Family and Loss
Going to my grandmother’s house in Clemson was a staple in my life until the end of last year. My first memory of Clemson does not include being in the house. I remember sitting in my car seat. I must have been seated on the right side because I could see through the door that…
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Unraveling the Mystery of Roanoke’s Lost Colony
I was not older than 9 when I went to Roanoke, North Carolina, for the first time. Part of our homeschool history curriculum was traveling to places where history happened, and one of the first trips we took as a family was to Roanoke, North Carolina. I remember going to the museum, where they had…
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Celebrating Life: The Importance of Community Support
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a neighborhood where people supported one another. This is all being brought to mind as one of my former neighbors passed away recently. He had dealt with a multitude of degenerative diseases for years, supported by his loving family. I was fortunate enough to attend his celebration…
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To the Newly Diagnosed Child
Hello, My Dear Child, You’ve officially been diagnosed with autism. I want this letter to read like a welcome to Hogwarts Letter. So I got diagnosed at the age of 23, and that was after many, many mental health struggles that I couldn’t understand. For me, my diagnosis was a relief, a source of empowerment.…
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Emotional Bonds: My Journey with Grandma’s Cat Willow
When people die, loved ones and family have to figure out what to do with their possessions and pets. My grandma’s cat has come to stay with me. Willow does best when she has lots of attention and loves being around people. After Grandma’s stroke, she spent a lot more time at home, and it…
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Healing from Loss: My Journey Through Grief
I thought that when she passed away, time would stop. Didn’t the world understand that she was gone? I was carrying the pain of knowing I wouldn’t be able to talk to her again. The day after she died, I woke up and thought I should call her today; I hadn’t called her in a…
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Navigating Dating with Autism: Challenges and Insights
I was asked recently how having autism had affected my ability to date and find romantic partners. If you had asked me when I was recently diagnosed I would have told you that autism was going to be a defining challenge in my ability to find love and sustain a long-term relationship. I went through…
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Community helped save me
I’ve been meditating on the importance of community lately. I keep seeing news stories that suggest we are in a loneliness epidemic and that it’s only getting worse. Pundits love to blame social media; I suppose pinning a single source for a problem must make them feel more at ease since it provides an easy…
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The importance of Grief
Grief is quite a stigmatized emotion in our society. Crying is something that we never quite know how to handle, even as adults. I have never known how to talk about the grief I feel and when it is appropriate to connect with others. Then I stumbled upon Anderson Cooper’s podcast, “All There Is.” I…
Living on the Spectrum 