Mad Random , livre ebook

Balboa Press - Donna Miller

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

98 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

“Miller has written an affecting, candid account about raising an enigmatically disabled child. She offers critical commentary on the flaws of various medical and educational systems that she navigated yet also acknowledges how she had to modify her own behavior and expectations. She adds a healthy dose of humor, including Jack’s rather pithy perceptions and observations. While certainly not a comprehensive resource guide, Miller’s memoir offers insight and support to parents in similar situations.
An honest, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting account of parenting a child with severe emotional difficulties.”
From Kirkus Review of Books
Mad Random Claiming Life Out of Chaos chronicles one family’s struggle to final normalcy while raising a son with severe emotional disabilities. Brutally honest, yet laugh out loud funny, this book shines a light on the anxiety, heartbreak and rage experiences by thousands of families seeking acceptance for the difficult, quirky children. This wild, gritty book ultimately leads readers to the miracles of hope and love.

Sujets

Personal Memoirs

Biography

Autobiography

Informations

Publié par	Balboa Press
Date de parution	10 janvier 2023
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9798765233641
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0200€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Testimonials for Mad Random
T he code of silence surrounding ch ildhood mental illness is brok en at last! This book talks open ly about mental illness, leading us to removing obstacles to heali ng and to finding creative solutions. Ma d Random reads like a story but it is not hing short of a social movement.
M ary Cinadr; Writing Coach, Mentor an d Educator, Founder; Circle of Writers
This heartbreaking mem oir puts an impressive spotlight o n the author’s insight into he r own behavior and motivati ons while parenting her seve rely disabled son. Miller’s candor about her marriage and the deva stating journey to beco ming adoptive parents rings true f or many parents. The book left me f eeling grateful for havin g shared in their journey.
Margar et I. Nicholson, LICSW; Director of C ommunity Services; COMPASS
Donna Mil ler’s story is about love, det ermination and persisting hop e. It is also about frustration with the edu cational and mental health syste ms unable to manage this challenging c hild, and the toll taken on a reso urceful family attemptin g to survive in the face of overwhel ming pressures. Anyone inte rested in the welfare of chil dren with significant speci al needs should read Mad Random ; it is a s obering reminder about how far we still have to go in supporting comp lex children and their fa milies.
Christopher T. S. White, Ed .D.; President/CEO, Road to Responsibi lity, Inc.
When my 45 minutes l esson plan is finished, I complim ent myself for getting through another cl ass. Miller’s memoir, Mad Random , fills in the other twenty-three hours and fifteen minutes of life with a troub led child. Brutally honest, it is filled with grace and humor and pr ofound respect.
Rosemary Mil ler, MLS; Retired Librarian/School Teacher
I too adopted my son and have been on a search for his diagn osis. Now he is children’s psychia tric hospital after an attem pted suicide. Mad Random shine s a harsh light on the battles with sc hools, the pain of parenting alo ne, and the futile search for somethi ng new. Thank you for letting me k now I am not alone.
Sue Brady; Parent
Mad Random is written with humility and gratitude , laced with humor and tears. Miller and her husband confron t their journey as parents wi th extraordinary honesty, strength and resilience, despite continu al challenges. This is a story which will have meaning for parents str uggling with children with disabilities, and for any par ent raising a child in today’s chao tic world.
Martha Wakeman, MFA; Artist and Art Educator
Donna Mill er’s memoir, Mad Random is not a “h ow to” guide for parents or scho ol administrators, but it is a valuabl e tool for understanding and nav igating the slippery slope of life wi th difficult and chaotic children. T his story guides parents and p rofessionals to hope and acc eptance that are the cure to things we don’t understand.
Lynda Col by; Retired Protective Services Socia l Worker
Mad Random is an essenti al read. Miller lets us into her world of isolation, secrets an d self-doubt. Her authenticity reflects the palpable fear tha t someone you love may act ually hurt you. Miller skillfully p ulls us through the unpredictab le journey of caring for a seriousl y disabled child. It is a wild ride with stops at violence, tragedy, and redemption.
Andy Romeo, MSOD; Organizational Consult ant.
MAD RANDOM

Claiming Life Out of Chaos

DONNA MILLER

Copyright © 2022 Donna Miller.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press
A Division of Hay House
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.balboapress.com
844-682-1282

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 979-8-7652-3365-8 (sc)
ISBN: 979-8-7652-3366-5 (hc)
ISBN: 979-8-7652-3364-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022915834

Balboa Press rev. date: 01/23/2023

To Christopher
who still has my back

For Sam
who never stopped believing, helping me up each time I stumble

My son painted the original artwork feature d on the cover when he was a fifteen-year-old high school student. He entitled it, “ Self P ortrait of Freud.” When asked what he was trying to express, he answered, “Just l ike Freud, you have to figure it out for y ourself.” This painting hangs over my desk and is a daily reminder to embrace the chaos of our mad random world .
— Donna Miller

Cover illustration by Sarah Kiehle
www.sarahkiehle.com
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 Hostages
Chapter 2 Lost Boys
Chapter 3 What Love Abides
Chapter 4 Blast The Bridge
Chapter 5 Class Act
Chapter 6 Organic Applesauce And The Big Bang Theory Of Disability
Chapter 7 Changeling
Chapter 8 Running With Scissors
Chapter 9 Breaking The Code Of Disability
Chapter 10 When You Get To The Fork In The Road, Take It
Chapter 11 Stumbling Through The Labyrinth
Chapter 12 The Peril Of Hope
Chapter 13 Dick And Jane, Redux
Chapter 14 Penises
Chapter 15 My Head Is Turned Inside Out
Chapter 16 Mother Is To Teacher As Xylophone Is To School
Chapter 17 Wandering Down The Yellow Brick Road
Chapter 18 Call Me Brian
Chapter 19 Wallflower
Chapter 20 Raining Meatball Soup
Chapter 21 Enter Here And Abandon All Hope
Chapter 22 Suicide Is Painless
Chapter 23 Hearts In Armor
Chapter 24 Flying Low Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
Chapter 25 Chasing The Wind
Chapter 26 Moving Out
Chapter 27 Promises Broken
Chapter 28 Remember Love
Chapter 29 Does Anyone Know Where I Went?
Chapter 30 My Father, His Friend
Chapter 31 Reconnecting
Chapter 32 Who Knew He Could Parallel Park?
Chapter 33 Graduation
Chapter 34 Leaving Home Without A Key
Chapter 35 We Will Always Have Baltimore
Chapter 36 Saying Good-Bye
Chapter 37 Summing Up

Epilogue
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to the amazing women in my life who show up and do the work of living each day with joy and purpose. Thank you.
The mental health and education professionals who read and reread this book provided useful advice and perspective that shines through.

“…the best way out is always through.”
– Robert Frost
CHAPTER ONE
Hostages
J umpy and uncomfortable at my desk, I consider a third tea run in under an hour. An empty page glows on the computer screen, mocking my resolve to meet my self-imposed word count before shutting down the machine. Most days, I try to exit the office before convincing myself that I am not a writer. If I don’t make it out in time, I’m likely to hit the want-ad pages, searching for retail sales positions and the promise of discounts on professional clothes I don’t wear to sit alone in a room to write. The rest of each afternoon’s productivity tends to rely on more caffeine, pitiful pleas with an absent muse, and smacking my head on the screen. Now I am moving my fingers over the keys in random patterns that fill up empty space with nonsense. I am done.
Rushing to the car, I can’t move fast enough to distance myself from any part of the day’s work that survived the delete button. The trip to the grocery store is uneventful, though I do buy ten cans of soup for ten dollars, knowing that no one at home eats canned soup.
My seventeen-year-old son, Jack, is pacing, hovering close to the front hallway as if he has been waiting for my arrival. At nearly six feet four inches tall, his presence in the tiny foyer throws a shadow across my five-foot frame. He is too close, too cheerful, and the hairs on my arms tickle, a personal antenna that senses his urgency.
“How was your day?” he asks with unexpected cheerfulness.
“Fine,” I say, struggling with the groceries and tripping over his cat’s outstretched body. Half the soup cans roll under the dining-room table.
“Could you help me here?” I crawl under the table to retrieve the unnecessary cream of mushroom soup, catching a glimpse of a recipe for green beans with fried onions. My family doesn’t eat that either.
“Uh, I’m going to get some fresh air.” Moving quickly through the kitchen, Jack stops at the junk