Dayniah Manderson was profiled in an article in the New York Times Metropolitan section on Sunday, May 2, 2010. Ms. Manderson has suffered from spinal muscular atrophy type II since childhood. She has endured surgeries and is confined to a wheelchair. However, Ms. Manderson has a daughter and a job. She also had an abusive relationship, but she certainly isn't putting up with that. The article in the Times was well-deserved acknowledgement of this remarkable human being.
The way we manage our limitations is significant. I don't like it when my limitations interfere with my ability to work and play. After a while, I feel like complaining. But I know that I experience periods of relief, while others never will. The New York Times article discussed modifications Ms. Manderson makes to facilitate her work day. Specifically, she doesn't eat breakfast or drink all day because she is unable to go to the bathroom on her own. She didn't complain. She didn't indicate that she felt sorry for herself. The situation is what it is. I certainly hope that the article results in additional help for Ms. Manderson.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Ode to a war horse MDX
Our weekend started at 6 a.m. on Saturday, when we drove from Long Island to Choate Rosemary Hall, which is near New Haven. Choate is one of America's premier boarding high schools. Its girls ice hockey program has produced four olympians and our daughter was interviewing for a slot at the school. She was well received and blended beautifully with the other students. We spent about 3 hours at the school, and that was followed by a game between my daughter's team and the Connecticut Polar Bears. Choate's coach came to watch Laura and some other players. Again, we were really happy with the coach's comments about our daughter's ability.
Our other daughter, Allison, attends school on the other side of Connecticut at the Kent School which is in, well, Kent. The town shuts down by 9, basically. After an amazing dinner at Blu Grill, we went to the only convenience store that was open. Laura was recovering from a nasty cold and needed lozenges and tissues. My husband brought the car over to the store lot and parked. Laura and I got in the car and we were about to head back to our inn outside of town. Joe backed the car out of its spot, then put the car into drive. The engine was running, but the gear didn't engage and the car just sat there. It was close to closing time, so a state trooper was in the lot to watch over the store - not that there is ever any trouble in Kent. I walked over to the squad car. "Why didn't your husband just drive you over," he quipped, at which point I explained our predicament.
The officer, the store owner and Joe investigated. They found a pool of liquid where the car had been parked and noticed that the car was hemorraging greenish blue liquid. Using a flashlight, they looked inside the hood. Together, they concluded that the transmission had failed. Now, I am not particularly knowledgeable about cars, but I do know that the transmission is the rough equivalent of the human heart; once it isn't working, the vehicle or person basically has no chance for survival. Suffice it to say that we ended up getting a rental car and completed the trip with a visit to Joe's sister in Boston and two more boarding schools - all of which was very exciting - but this is about the car.
The MDX - our MDX - was not merely a form of transportation. We bought the car in 2004. At that point, we had transferred the girls into East Woods School in Oyster Bay Cove. We were attracted to their strong academic program, emphasis on character development and an ice hockey program in which Laura could participate starting in 5th grade. Her improvement warranted branching out even further, so Laura joined The Long Island Waves, a travel team, in 6th grade, in addition to her participation on the East Woods team. This is her third year with that team. Participation in that team involved remarkable feats of transportation.
The MDX has been there every step of the way. It has transported us from points north in Connecticut to Yorktown, Pennsylvania, as well as tournaments in places you have heard of, like Rochester and Syracuse and places you haven't heard of, like Chazy, New York. It has ferried us to visit boarding schools throughout the northeast, and it has permitted us to meet dedicated educators and coaches. The MDX took Allison to Kent School, where she has been afforded unique opportunities to grow and develop - and home again. Then there were the trips up to New England Music Camp in Belgrade Lakes, Maine. There, our daughters' relationships with both peers and teachers were cultivated and their abilities as musicians enhanced through instruction and weekly performances.
As parents, my husband and I view our job as providing the best resources to enable our daughters to accomplish. The MDX was part of that effort, plus it had more than 130,000 miles. It turns out that all the MDX needed was a new radiator. Despite its new lease on life, it is time to put the old war horse out to pasture. No one achieves success alone. It is important to thank those who have helped you accomplish your goals. Dear old MDX, you helped us do our job as parents. As cars go, you were amazing.
Our other daughter, Allison, attends school on the other side of Connecticut at the Kent School which is in, well, Kent. The town shuts down by 9, basically. After an amazing dinner at Blu Grill, we went to the only convenience store that was open. Laura was recovering from a nasty cold and needed lozenges and tissues. My husband brought the car over to the store lot and parked. Laura and I got in the car and we were about to head back to our inn outside of town. Joe backed the car out of its spot, then put the car into drive. The engine was running, but the gear didn't engage and the car just sat there. It was close to closing time, so a state trooper was in the lot to watch over the store - not that there is ever any trouble in Kent. I walked over to the squad car. "Why didn't your husband just drive you over," he quipped, at which point I explained our predicament.
The officer, the store owner and Joe investigated. They found a pool of liquid where the car had been parked and noticed that the car was hemorraging greenish blue liquid. Using a flashlight, they looked inside the hood. Together, they concluded that the transmission had failed. Now, I am not particularly knowledgeable about cars, but I do know that the transmission is the rough equivalent of the human heart; once it isn't working, the vehicle or person basically has no chance for survival. Suffice it to say that we ended up getting a rental car and completed the trip with a visit to Joe's sister in Boston and two more boarding schools - all of which was very exciting - but this is about the car.
The MDX - our MDX - was not merely a form of transportation. We bought the car in 2004. At that point, we had transferred the girls into East Woods School in Oyster Bay Cove. We were attracted to their strong academic program, emphasis on character development and an ice hockey program in which Laura could participate starting in 5th grade. Her improvement warranted branching out even further, so Laura joined The Long Island Waves, a travel team, in 6th grade, in addition to her participation on the East Woods team. This is her third year with that team. Participation in that team involved remarkable feats of transportation.
The MDX has been there every step of the way. It has transported us from points north in Connecticut to Yorktown, Pennsylvania, as well as tournaments in places you have heard of, like Rochester and Syracuse and places you haven't heard of, like Chazy, New York. It has ferried us to visit boarding schools throughout the northeast, and it has permitted us to meet dedicated educators and coaches. The MDX took Allison to Kent School, where she has been afforded unique opportunities to grow and develop - and home again. Then there were the trips up to New England Music Camp in Belgrade Lakes, Maine. There, our daughters' relationships with both peers and teachers were cultivated and their abilities as musicians enhanced through instruction and weekly performances.
As parents, my husband and I view our job as providing the best resources to enable our daughters to accomplish. The MDX was part of that effort, plus it had more than 130,000 miles. It turns out that all the MDX needed was a new radiator. Despite its new lease on life, it is time to put the old war horse out to pasture. No one achieves success alone. It is important to thank those who have helped you accomplish your goals. Dear old MDX, you helped us do our job as parents. As cars go, you were amazing.
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