October 5, 2010
Emerson Speaks!
Emerson is getting the word out and folks are catching on. Check out this article on Marraige and Emerson’s family on CNN. Check out more discussions from Emerson on our blog.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/19/autism.divorce.rates/index.html?iref=allsearch
January 24, 2010
Something to think about marriage…it’s a LOT OF WORK!!!!
Something to think about marriage…it’s a LOT OF WORK!!!! We all know that, but what does it really mean? I think it means that in order to create or sustain a WE, it cannot be about ME , much of the time. We are not really wired this way in our society. We are taught to look to ourselves to define much of what is important and consider how we FEEL as a major deciding factor in almost every aspect of our lives. And that very perspective causes us great pain when we need to blend it, especially if it doesn’t meet our vision of what we want or believe is correct or preferable, in any given scenario. It is easy to blend our will when it matches our desire, for example, we both want Chinese food tonight or agree that a purchase is warranted and can be afforded. It is much harder when we see a parenting situation differently or don’t agree on a purchase or lifestyle choice. That’s when the WORK aspect becomes necessary. And I just don’t see that many of us in this day and age are prepared or expect that we should have to compromise or communicate effectively with both send and receive aspects working equally. Yet, we will NEED to do just that, over and over again to sustain a successful marriage. We think that if we just pick the “right” person we can bypass this process. And it is true that the more compatible we are with our spouse the easier this will be. But there are no two people that are so compatible that we can bypass this entirely, so we would be well served to look at ourselves and take stock of how flexible we are, and how maybe we can learn ( and teach our children to be) to be more open to others, accommodating or accepting of compromise unless major boundaries are being violated.
Marci Wolff Ober, LMFT
January 16, 2010
Divorce and Autism: They don’t have to go hand in hand. A father’s struggle to heal his son, his family and beat the odds
Let me introduce myself. I’m Emerson Donnell. Born and raised in New Jersey I waited until my 40’s to have a child. Little did I know I was a perfect match, a statistical poster of the typical parent who sires an autistic child, (an older white male living in New Jersey, the state with the highest incidence of autism.) And little did I know after the birth of my son Emerson that my wife Jen and I were being railroaded right into the next widely accepted statistic. Supposedly over 80% of marriages that sire an autistic child end in divorce. 
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August 16, 2009
What Makes a Strong Marriage Anyway?
WHAT MAKES A STRONG MARRIAGE, ANYWAY….? We all want a great marriage. Yet, we know the grim statistics regarding the survival of marriages in the US. About 52% end in divorce within the first 10 years. Worse yet for second or third marriages, much worse for families where special needs are present in children-UPWARDS OF 70% end in divorce, (AAMFT Family Therapy magazine May 2008). Read more
As seen on MommysFriendsOnline.com- Websites for "Girlie" AccessoriesI just had a baby girl and a friend shared with me some fun websites to order some special "girlie things." I especially love the large flower headbands! These sites offer the most precious accessories. Add some glam to your little one's wardobe...check out these websites www.Poshlittletutus.com www.pinkbowtique.com… […]
- Essex County Turtle Back ZooHave a wild adventure at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo! Essex County 8th Annual Open House Saturday, June 5th- 10am to 2pm- Free… […]
- Celebrate Mother's Day Weekend at Ventimigla VineyardsMother's Day Winetrail… […]
- Summer ReadingI'd like to suggest a New York Times Best Seller, "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid" for your 3rd or 4th grade readers. As a reading teacher, I highly recommend the book. Your child or student will not put it down! You can find the series at Barnes and Noble, but I think Amazon.com has the best prices. Make sure your child has their reading books read […]
- Family Day: Cherry Blossom FestivalSunday. April 18th: Bloomfest Enjoy a family day in the pink park! A packed schedule of events includes cultural demonstrations, children's activities, live music, a crafter's marketplace, food, and more. FREE ADMISSION. 11am to 5pm. Most activities take place around the Essex County Cherry Blossom Welcome Center in Essex County Branch Brook Park, […]
- Websites for "Girlie" Accessories
