About Joy

My name is Joy (hence my blog name), and I began Joy In This Journey in the summer of 2005. At the time, I was the mother of three young children, one of whom (our oldest, Ellie) had profound special needs. Life was consumed with diapers, feedings, medical treatments/appointments/therapies, surgeries, emergencies, and hospitalizations. I wanted to remember the highlights of those days, which I realized were quickly dusty and faded. I also need something that reminded me that I was still in there, under the fatigue and fear of the unknown.

So, in those early years, I wrote stories from our life -- parenting, parenting a child with special needs, hobbies, the things I wanted to remember later. Along the way, we added a fourth child, also with some (less life-altering) medical issues.

With four children and two sets of medical issues to manage, I began to write down tips and tricks that helped us deal with all the chaos, paperwork, lack of sleep, and insane schedule. Stories of the ridiculous scenarios I find myself in help all of us keep a sense of humor. I do not have it all together and never want to pretend that I do.

When Ellie died in the fall of 2008, this blog became a place to write through my grief and subsequent depression.

Depression, grieving, and spiritual crises aren't very popular topics, especially considering how common they are. You just aren't supposed to be depressed or doubt your faith, let alone talk openly about it.

But really... many people carry tremendous burdens of guilt because of and on top of their burdens of depression and doubt. By talking openly about these issues, we can help one another through.

So, I have a new mission for Joy In This Journey: to share how a real person can walk through fear, grief, pain, anger, depression, doubt, and even a complete reconstruction of her spirituality. Hopefully my journey will encourage you in your own struggles.