CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

I’m delighted to announce that I am developing a collection of writings for special needs families on the topic of forgiveness, and I am opening it up to your creative contributions.

If you are family to a special needs child, this invitation is for you. If you know a special needs family, please pass this on to them!

The idea of this collection is a kind of parenting book, except with no system. It's for people who experience special needs parenting as intuitive, passionate, and autonomous, people who give it all and falter anyway and understand that as parents, we have no choice but to get up tomorrow and get back to it. To do that, we often have to forgive ourselves, for our frustrations and failings.

In the space between books like "My Baby Rides The Short Bus," "Gravity Pulls You In," and "Seeing Ezra," which are groundbreaking truth-tellers, we still need something that speaks to the process of parenting and pain, evolution and liberation, in our lives. That's what I hope to accomplish here.

I also hope for this book to help enrich the dialogue regarding 'resentments across the spectrum,' and to create an atmosphere where individuality gains traction over labels.

If you look at the introduction to the book, which I've posted here, you'll get an idea what I mean. The book will include essays like this one, which explores the topic and experience of forgiveness personally.

My post 'The Hundred-Dollar Haircut,' represents the kind of anecdotal, advice-based pieces I am seeking. These should tell a story of how parents responded to a problem their child faced, how that response did or didn't work, and carry to the parents the message that, 'Even if this doesn't work for you, and it may not, you're still a good parent, and you're doing enough.'

Submissions can range from 1,200 to 5,000 words, or 5 to 10 pages, and should be sent as a Word document attachment or in the body of the email, to my direct email address, by or about Jan.1.

Jsteiner70@gmail.com