I’m currently writing the third book in my Purposeful Journey series, which is centered around autism in adulthood, and throughout the process, I’ve found myself continually reflecting on the fact that God doesn’t waste our stories – He layers them.
Each of my memoirs in the trilogy were never meant to be separate stories. The first outlines how autism taught me to fight, the second outlines how childhood taught me to endure and the third will share how caregiving into Skyler’s adulthood teaches me how to plan, trust, release and stay present all at once.
For those who are unfamiliar with my published work, I wrote Welcome to My Life: A Personal Parenting Journey Through Autism because I wanted families like ours to be seen.
When most people think of autism, they often picture individuals who can speak for themselves, are savants in a specific area, attend college, are in relationships, advocate publicly, or live independently. While those stories absolutely deserve to be told, they represent only one part of a very broad spectrum.
I wanted to share the world of profound, nonverbal autism from the perspective of the caregiver—the beautiful, exhausting, heartbreaking, hilarious, unpredictable reality that so many families live every single day.
My hope was that caregivers would feel less alone and that others would better understand the challenges, the joy, and the unwavering love behind our journey.
Two years ago, I released Selling Vegetables to Drunks: Lessons I Learned as an Alcoholic’s Daughter.
When people see that title and understandably wonder…”What does that have to do with autism?” My response is – actually, EVERYTHING.
That book isn’t a departure from my caregiving story—it’s the foundation of it.
Growing up with an alcoholic father taught me resilience long before I knew I’d need it. It taught me to navigate uncertainty, to adapt, to find hope when life felt overwhelming, and to keep moving forward when I couldn’t control the circumstances around me.
It also taught me something I believe with my whole heart – we don’t have to become victims of our circumstances. Our experiences can either define us or develop us.
Writing Selling Vegetables to Drunks wasn’t just about sharing my childhood. It was about showing others who grew up surrounded by addiction, dysfunction, or hardship that healing is possible. That forgiveness is possible. That strength can grow from broken places.
Looking back now, I don’t believe those chapters of my life happened to me. I believe they prepared me for the life I would one day be called to live.
The resilience I needed to parent Skyler was built decades before he was born.
My childhood shaped the mother I needed to become for both of my children. It strengthened my faith, changed my perspective, and taught me that courage often begins when we choose gratitude over bitterness.
So, as these book anniversaries come around, I don’t simply celebrate two publications. I celebrate one connected story.
A story about resilience.
About perspective.
About finding purpose in pain.
And about believing that even our hardest seasons can become the very thing that equips us to help someone else.
If you’ve read one of my books, thank you.
If you’ve read both, I hope you’ve discovered what I’ve always intended for them to be—not two separate stories, but one journey of becoming.
Because sometimes the greatest challenges of our past become the greatest gifts we have to offer the future.
*If you haven’t read either, both are available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and Audible formats. For those who’ve read or listened to my books and haven’t already done so, I’d really appreciate a written review so more readers looking specifically for these topics will find my work. Lastly, if you know of someone who would benefit from reading my books, please share with them. ❤ 📚
Stay tuned for book 3!!
