Public Ponder

Naked and Dancing

Following a visit to the Botero Museum in Bogotá with my 31-year-old autistic son, I was curious to know what he made of the plush ladies Botero liked to paint and sculpt. “So, Diego,” I said, “What...Read More →

What a Micro Bikini and 20 Piercings Taught Me

I was walking at the beach recently when two women knee-deep in the water caught my attention. Their backs toward me, one wore a one-piece bathing suit, while the other was NAKED! At least that’s what...Read More →

Expectations: Celebrating My Son’s Progress—Then Foolishly Grieving Its Limits

My son Diego, who’s autistic and intellectually disabled, was 31 when I heard him engage in his best phone exchange ever. “Diego, I think you need to get a haircut this week,” I said to him one Monday...Read More →

Normal: The Day My Autistic Son Prayed About Underwear

One recent Saturday morning, I drove my 31-year-old autistic son Diego to a park for his group run with Achilles, an organization that promotes running for people with disabilities. As we walked toward...Read More →

Autism, Airplanes and Acts of Kindness

Sometimes I want to quit society and go live in Tristan da Cunha. Why? Because it’s the remotest island in the world, the farthest one from any continent. There, I wouldn’t be assaulted with paperwork...Read More →

My Son’s Evaluations: The Words That Broke My Heart

As I work on my memoir about raising Diego, my 31-year-old autistic and bipolar son, I’ve spent many hours reading the stack of records about him gathered over his educational years, reliving how it...Read More →

Posting Diego: Consent and the Ethics of Sharing

There’s surely nothing objectionable about a mother posting photos and videos of her adult son with his consent. But what if, like Diego, the son has an intellectual disability? When I created my...Read More →

Bras, Underwear, and Hiking Shoes: 4 Lessons from My Year Long Shopping Fast

In July 2024, I visited my niece in San Diego for a week and forgot to pack bras. We went hiking, running, or to the beach every day, and every day I washed the bra I wore the day I flew into San Diego....Read More →

14 Venezuelan Women Walk El Camino de Santiago in the Rain

I traveled with thirteen women from my high school class to Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, the year we all turned 50. I had been close with several of my fellow travelers while in high school,...Read More →