Mafe Maria: A Creative Playground by Maria Q. Stultz
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(48 entries)
Just like a menstrual period, yet not exactly with the same frequency and predictability, I seem to experience cycles of contractive energy… They manifest primarily by a very strong need for space: physical and emotional. I find myself wanting to be alone, still, and silent. Mostly still and silent. Yet, mothering a four-year-old Sagittarius so [...]
Wow, this kid is truly connected to something… For a few days now, every once in a while he’s told me with a mischiveous smile, his waving finger, and out of nowhere: “Don’t judge anymore”. I always thank him for the wisdom and tell him that I’m doing my best to act on that intention. [...]
So here I am again. After three weeks of heaven on earth, somebody ordered to kick me out for who knows how long… “Let her feel fear again”. I can’t say I’ve dropped as low as I was before the climb, but I’m definitely not at the top of the mountain any more. And this [...]
Continuing the story we shared last year, this video documents the last 12 months in Joaquin’s Son-Rise Program. Although Joaquin’s growth has been (and continues to be) amazing, this is mostly a tribute to the beauty of the process and the extraordinary people that have joined hands with us building and providing an optimal growing [...]
I used to think that if you do Son-Rise perfectly, your child will have no option but to recover (as in, be fully “cured” of autism). I did this in order to motivate me to play perfect Son-Rise and put all of me behind the goal of Joaquin’s recovery. I took this belief in an [...]
At the core of this belief there is the very big and fat red itchy theory that I may have planted in Joaquin the subconscious idea that the world is not safe; that he is not welcome in my life. Sometimes I’ve thought that Joaquin may have experienced the conflict I had as a stay-at-home [...]
The day I realized my 2-year-old son was (is) autistic, I felt death. Felt the weight of a curse. Thought I was being punished. Got angry and cried on the unfairness that my only son, for whom I had taken such good care since before he was conceived, had been damaged in such a way [...]
Over the last month before turning three years old, Joaquin started writing numbers, drawing their outlines, spelling words and writing some, all by himself. His memory is amazing. His focus, passion, and control when drawing and writing is (I believe) extraordinary. All signs of a beautiful mind at work. And, as exciting and reassuring as [...]
This is an ode to Joaquin, and Joey, and Eliza, and me… To the amazing adventure we’ve lived during the last seven months after discovering Joaquin’s autism. It goes also to my Son-Rise family… Everybody at the Autism Treatment Center of America, and to all the “beacons of light”… The mothers and fathers, and volunteers [...]
Seeing how Joaquin is constantly developing in unexpected ways, I’m finally coming to understand the whole notion that he is in fact developing in a way that is comfortable and natural for him. Whether as parents we think his development is slow, or “different” in a bad way… that’s just our judgement based on comparing [...]
I wish I had done these type of summaries more often… Recently, trying to put together Joaquin’s full developmental history for the psychologist working on his evaluation, I realized how valuable it was to have the few posts I wrote, along with some of the little stories I’ve shared on flickr. Now that things have [...]
You can’t imagine how many times I’ve sat down to write this first post during all these weeks of silence. Some times I’ve failed because there’s so much to tell. Other times I’ve failed because I’m in the wrong mood to write it. The rest of the times I’ve failed because I’m afraid of labeling [...]
Mamahood, papahood… It’s all full of great joys and deep frustrations. Let’s vent them all out without criticizing each other.
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