Published in Special Nation

·Pinned

What the Heck Is Autism Anyway?

Making sense of the A word — Much has changed over the past two decades when it comes to labels and attitudes about whatever it is “autism” is, how it is experienced and how society ought to view it. To some extent, the opinions have become polarizing, political even. There are sides and it feels like one…

Autism

6 min read

Published in Special Nation

·Pinned

It’s True, Having a Child Changes Everything

A Day at the Aquarium — It’s rather disorienting, looking back, that my husband and I had such a nothing-can-go-wrong-for-us attitude, one that was clearly bound to kick us in the butt, when we decided to leave Venezuela to go to graduate school in Monterey, California with a baby on the way. As it happens, I…

Parenting

4 min read

It’s True, Having a Child Changes Everything

Published in The Writing Cooperative

·Pinned

How to Write Amazing Analogies

What I learned from reading David Sedaris — David Sedaris is the sort of writer who does not waste the opportunity to create amazing analogies to produce powerful descriptions of people, things and situations. Being a master at humor, his, of course, also make you smile and audibly chuckle or laugh. …

Writing

4 min read

Published in ILLUMINATION-Curated

·Jun 24

Fear of Flying: ‘The Holy Spirit Brought You Home,’ Said My Mother

Or was it the pilot? — Sometimes things work out for you and you know a higher power had a hand in it. It happened to me when I switched to an earlier flight from Denver to New York and lived to tell about it. …

Religion

6 min read

Fear of Flying: ‘The Holy Spirit Brought You Home,’ Said My Mother

Published in Special Nation

·Jun 20

Is Breastfeeding a Baby Supposed To Be This Hard and Painful?

My first parenting challenge — Being a mother is a wondrous experience but it is above all terrifying, and, in a way, a liability. …

Breastfeeding

4 min read

Published in Special Nation

·May 4

26 Lessons About Love, Sex, Parenting and Money From 30 Years of Marriage

For the married and unmarried — Thirty years of marriage. How is it even possible? “It really has felt like two minutes — underwater,” an acquaintance joked the other day about his similarly long marriage. Seeing as I’m very slow when it comes to jokes, this one was simple enough and made me laugh. But I…

Marriage

4 min read

Published in Special Nation

·Apr 8

Having a child changes EVERYTHING

Dear Special Nation citizens, Here is what happened in year 2 of my 30-year marriage: the birth of my son Diego, who, over time, came to be diagnosed as autistic, bipolar and cognitively disabled (they called it “mental retardation” but I believe that’s no longer considered a PC term). It’s True: Having a Child Changes Everything Anyhow, that’s the way I remember it. Thank you for reading, Daniella

Marriage

1 min read

Having a child changes EVERYTHING

Dear Special Nation citizens,

Here is what happened in year 2 of my 30-year marriage: the birth of my son Diego, who, over time, came to be diagnosed as autistic, bipolar and cognitively disabled (they called it “mental retardation” but I believe that’s no longer considered a PC term).

It’s True: Having a Child Changes Everything

Anyhow, that’s the way I remember it.

Thank you for reading,

Daniella

PS: I’m revisiting and writing about my marriage story in chronological order. Episode 1:

First Marriage, Then Baby

Published in Special Nation

·Mar 26

Time for a Marriage Break?

We’ve taken at least 30 — Do you ever wish you could mute your spouse when he’s (my spouse is a “he”) telling the same “joke” he has told 137 times and which you’ve made abundantly clear is not funny AT ALL? Have you fantasized you can replay an event so your partner will admit it…

Marriage

5 min read

Published in ILLUMINATION

·Mar 11

Is Putin a Man Who Would Destroy a Country “If He Could Be King of the Ashes”?

A month ago, I gave it not a thought — Everyone has something to say about Putin and the war in Ukraine. What’s Putin’s state of mind? Is Putin rational? How far would Putin go? Would he actually use nuclear weapons? What should NATO and the rest of the world do? If you listen to The Economist (War in Ukraine…

Ukraine

3 min read

Is Putin a Man Who Would Destroy a Country “If He Could Be King of the Ashes”?

Published in Special Nation

·Feb 27

A Long Time Ago, Before Diego Was Born…

Dear members of this very Special Nation, — It’ll be my 30th wedding anniversary this year, so I’ll be writing about this crazy journey and how my son Diego’s disability (they call it “autism” though I’m no longer sure about the term!) figures within it. Here’s the first story: First Marriage, Then Baby I was stunned to discover I have exactly one photo of Cesar and me before we got married. Here it is, at the very beginning of our journey:

Parenting

1 min read

A Long Time Ago, Before Diego Was Born…

Dear members of this very Special Nation,

It’ll be my 30th wedding anniversary this year, so I’ll be writing about this crazy journey and how my son Diego’s disability (they call it “autism” though I’m no longer sure about the term!) figures within it.

Here’s the first story:

First Marriage, Then Baby

I was stunned to discover I have exactly one photo of Cesar and me before we got married. Here it is, at the very beginning of our journey:

What the Heck Is Autism Anyway?

It’s True, Having a Child Changes Everything

How to Write Amazing Analogies

Fear of Flying: ‘The Holy Spirit Brought You Home,’ Said My Mother

Is Breastfeeding a Baby Supposed To Be This Hard and Painful?

26 Lessons About Love, Sex, Parenting and Money From 30 Years of Marriage

Having a child changes EVERYTHING

Having a child changes EVERYTHING

It’s True: Having a Child Changes Everything

Time for a Marriage Break?

Is Putin a Man Who Would Destroy a Country “If He Could Be King of the Ashes”?

A Long Time Ago, Before Diego Was Born…

A Long Time Ago, Before Diego Was Born…

Dear members of this very Special Nation,

First Marriage, Then Baby

Daniella Mini