Our Daddy Is Invincible!

"Our daddy is the bravest man we know. We are so glad that he is here to see us grow" 

 Our Daddy Is Invincible! is a book for children and families explaining life after a traumatic brain injury. Written by the wife of wounded veteran LtCol Tim Maxwell, USMC, author Shannon Maxwell puts together a much needed resource for our families, helping to put into words and pictures what so many of us are trying to say to our kids: Everything is going to be ok, and daddy is still daddy. Read the full digital book here.

If you know a family dealing with combat injury, consider purchasing a copy as a gift to send to them. Parents with young children, this may be a good read to sit and share with your child. Remember, it's not about recreating what used to be, but finding the new normal. Thank you Shannon for giving all of us a tool to begin a few very important conversations. 

How To Really Love a Child

Her Story- Interjection

She came home, we felt fortunate. The mixture of ignorance and denial convinced me to believe she was going to be fine now. All I had to do from that point on was be thankful, and take good care of her and her siblings. What I did not know was it was the calm before the storm, the long unending drawn out storm. And I haven't been able to write past her coming home. I suppose it's because I loved and appreciated that season of not realizing so much, and I don't want to let it go. I pretty much live my life today encapsulating those few months as reality and carry it with me. I think of her this way, as being normal and untouched by any limitations. In all reality, that's probably better for her on a daily basis, I don't know. The downside to that is when I have to face decisions about her direction in education or doing things other kids do, I am reminded as if it were a sudden surprise that oh ya, she does need modifications. I'm faced with certain programs being unavailable to her and classrooms turning her away. It is in those moments I painfully remember all we have done, researched, fought for, learned, and worked on up to this point and that, no- her disability hasn't healed like a bad cold. It's still here, it's shaping her life and future, and it will continue to change mine. 

See the full "Her Story" here