To Summer / Was Re: OT speech

[Guest guest]

" Wouldn't it be wonderful if SCD people in each locale could partner

up as

child rearing backups in case of crisis? Can we form new tribes of

people who

actually care about one another? Families of Choice? "

Summer,

I have often wondered how to partner with my new friends to mutually

support our children. My former friends sort of blew away with the

wind after I had my son. Because I'm older, some friends had either

never had kids or their children were grown, our common interests were

over. Others had a hard time understanding how a baby could be so much

trouble that his parents could't socialize anymore. They accused me of

being a hysterical new mom, unable to cope with the simple tasks of

raising a baby. So, my new friends are parents of allergic kids and

parents of autistic kids. They GET IT! We are all in the same boat,

and they are great friends. However, I am reluctant to ask them for

help with my child - their lives are as difficult as mine is, and we

are all stretched so thin we could blow away in a strong breeze. How

could they add another child to their families if something happened

to us?

What makes more sense is Communities of Choice, where we live in a

community together and pool resources. Dh and I used to dream of

intentional communities long before we were married. That dream is so

old I had forgotten it til you mentioned it. I wonder ...

In the short term, I would love to have an " SCD Advisor " who is

familiar with Tom's unique digestive problems in a way that his DAN!

doctor never will be. Someone who could advise Tom's guardian on how

to feed him while they learn about his diet if something unexpected

were to happen to us. It would be tragic if all our knowledge about

TOm's needs were to be lost with us.

It's an idea...

Suzanne