I'm honored to have my story, "Looking for the Sale Sign," published in this Chicken Soup for the Soul book, Angels All Around. It was released August 27. Pick up a copy today!
Look what I found at Barnes & Noble!
I'm honored to have my story, "Looking for the Sale Sign," published in this Chicken Soup for the Soul book, Angels All Around. It was released August 27. Pick up a copy today!
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Isaac Transitions are difficult for Isaac. The Falls Aquatic Center closed yesterday. He swam there every evening during the summer. Occasionally he would go there in the afternoon and evening as he realized the end of the summer was near. All of the lifeguards know his name. Isaac called them all "goofballs" as often as he could. Most of them replied, "You're a goofball!" which made him laugh and smile, and those interactions made him feel like he was part of a community. He was important and included. That experience is over now, and it's very sad for my 18-year-old boy. School started today. Tomorrow morning he goes to the dentist and can't ride the bus to school. Saturday his twin brother, Noah, moves into a residence hall room 90 minutes away. A few days ago Isaac looked at my planner and screamed and cried and bargained for summer never to end. I snuggled him and kissed him and folded my hands around his chest, and I helped him rock back and forth while I said, "It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. It's hard when things change, isn't it?" He tossed his sandals downstairs in a fit of rage. He wrote "no" next to "last day of pool." He crossed off "first day of school" on my planner. He crossed off "school starts!" on the wall calendar. He screamed, "No last day!" He hit the couch and hit his knee, and then he said "5-4-3-2-1, May!" "Do you wish it were May right now?" I asked. "Yes," he said, through a stream of tears. He wants it to be May because the pool will reopen during that month. But mostly he wants it to be June 1, 2020 (last day of school) so the pool will be open and school will be over. He loves school and his teacher, but it doesn't matter. He wants to fast forward time. Last night he didn't want to charge his speech generating device, the one he uses at school to speak and to call out the bus waves at the end of the day. I reminded him that if he didn't charge his device, perhaps another student could do the job. "No device!" he shouted. After he went to bed, he must have had second thoughts. He opened his bedroom door, walked out to the living room, and plugged his device into the charger so that he would be able to do his job on the first day of school. This morning I sat beside him on the couch and wrapped my arms around him. He looked nervous and rigid. I asked if he felt okay. I asked if he wanted to stay home. "I love my goofball," he said, looking my way for a split second. He wanted me to reassure him time and time again that we would get into the white car and pick up Henry after school. I told him yes, we will. Yes. Yes. Don't worry. White car. Yes, we will pick up Henry. Then I recited what I typically say when he gets home and what he typically does and that seemed to calm him for a while. I made him breakfast and told him to pack his lunch. "No lunch," he said, but he did it anyway. I took a picture of him holding a sign. It was the only picture I snapped before the bus arrived. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. I knew he'd be okay as soon as he stepped on the bus. I knew he'd be fine once he got to school, but I emailed his teacher anyway to say that Isaac wasn't particularly happy about going to school today. He said he wouldn't be the only one. When Isaac got home after school, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him inside, he tossed his backpack on the couch, he raced to the basement to see if I had done laundry in his absence, and then he ran outside to pick up Henry. His feet barely touched the ground. He said he had a good day. He looked happy and relieved. "Great first day. Isaac jumped into all the familiar routines," the teacher had written in Isaac's communication book. Henry Henry had to report to school this morning at 9:30, which was lucky for him because he couldn't get to sleep last night until 2:00. He only had a few hours of shut eye. He's a freshman this year, but in our school district he has classes in the junior high building, as high school is grades 10-12. Nothing is new for Henry this year except a few teachers and a different locker partner. Henry said the strangest thing is that there weren't any older kids at the school to look out for. To his surprise, he is now one of the older kids. He's going to be busy with US History, Spanish I, Physical Science, English, Algebra I, Chorus, Band, PE, and occasionally a study hall. He knows a few people in his lunch shift, which is perfect. I asked if he had any homework and he said, "We don't do any work the first day of school!" Henry is gearing up for a great year! I'm honored to have a story appear in the book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels All Around. "Looking for the Sale Sign" is the story of selling my mom's car after she passed away in 2017. As the cover indicates, the book is comprised of 101 inspirational stories of miracles, divine intervention, and answered prayers. I am thrilled to be one of the authors chosen for this special publication. The book will be released on August 27, but it can be pre-ordered now on Amazon. I can't wait for you all to read my story and 100 others. I finished reading the entire book earlier this week, and it's become one of my favorites. Per the book description on Amazon.com: "More than what we experience, it’s often the memory of who we experience that lasts. And sometimes, we experience an angel. You will be awed and inspired by these true personal stories from people who are certain that there are angels right here on earth. They know this, because they’ve met them, and if you open your eyes, and your heart, you may find that angels don’t live too far away after all."
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AuthorI'm Tyann Sheldon Rouw, mother of three sons, wife to one husband, and lover of all chocolates. My twins have autism. I like the color green, advocating for autism, and trying to find the silver lining. Sometimes it's not easy. Usually it's funny. Archives
September 2023
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