Public Ponder

Seven Big Ideas on the Astounding Benefits of Tiny Habits

I was reading the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, and suddenly it hit me: the person I know with the best habits is autistic and intellectually disabled. He reads at a first-grade level and his myriad...Read More →

Process Over Outcome: A Perfect Focus for 2022

Last December was the first time I reflected long and hard on the year that was about to end. The year 2020 was an eventful year if there ever was one, and I came up with seven different lessons or...Read More →

Kindness Unexpected

Here’s a message* I received back in January which gave me a sense of hope for the year that was starting : Hello Mrs. Daniella, how are you. You probably don’t remember me, it’s been 22 years since I...Read More →

Random Things to Be Thankful For

I love the Thanksgiving holiday. What’s not to like about heaps of yummy food shared with family and friends and taking the time to reflect on what we are (or ought to be) grateful for? There’s no...Read More →

My Scoliosis: The Time I Decided to Never Cry Again

“I will never cry again,” was the closing sentence of my college admissions essay. Thirty-five years have passed since that essay and I can summon how I felt and what I experienced during that time of...Read More →

Autistic Ingenuity: 6 Highly Effective Strategies to Get What You Want

It takes Diego’s cousin Eugenia (who’s the same age as him) a few text messages to arrange an outing to a bar with friends in Manhattan. Should Eugenia decide to work remotely from Mexico City for a...Read More →

My Hamilton Obsession

I became obsessed with the musical Hamilton when it was released on Disney+ a few months into the pandemic. Given the lockdown and all, I watched it to my heart’s content, surely annoying my husband...Read More →

The Power of Prayer: It’s Not What You Think!

I’m too skeptical or lacking in faith to believe God intercedes when we invoke him in prayer. I mean, if I were to ask God, “Please, God, don’t let my son be one of the unnamed casualties from this...Read More →

Dear Mother of an Autistic Child: There’s No Need to Panic

Hi there fellow mom, I too have an autistic child, except he’s not a child anymore. His name’s Diego and he’s 27. You’ll go through various stages when it comes to how you view your child and his autism....Read More →