Recovery, my husband's new primary care physician reminds us, is different for everyone. We've heard every version of this line from the moment he was first admitted to the ER. Every answered question is hedged with unknowns and "individual variations." I've stopped expecting an answer when I ask "what's next," as I've learned that understanding… Continue reading A New Pattern
A Lucky Break
Bob, the stranger I married, is back. My mom just drove us the 3 and a half hours from Boston to Burlington, VT, and I’m tired and am sure he is too. As I unpack our clothes in the Marriott suite that will be our home for the next few months, Bob tells me… Continue reading A Lucky Break
My First Sweater: the Good, the Bad, and my ADHD
When I was 22, I announced in my Twitter byline that “I like to think of myself as a mix of Atticus Finch, Veronica Mars, Summer Roberts, and a dash of Huck Finn for good measure.” In my mind, these fictional characters combined to create the perfect contradiction of how I wanted people to see… Continue reading My First Sweater: the Good, the Bad, and my ADHD
Fifty Shades of Grey Matter
My marriage was getting crowded. When the doctors, nurses, and therapists weren’t around, family members were. The few moments we did get to spend alone were interrupted by beeping medical equipment. As much as my husband tried, I was insistent that we were not going to consummate our marriage in a Stryker hospital bed, specially… Continue reading Fifty Shades of Grey Matter
Introducing Bob
I married a stranger named Bob. Bob doesn’t love me. Bob has never loved me. He threatens to divorce me, and he tells me over and over again that the accident was my fault—that I’m the reason he’s in this rehab hospital, that I’m the reason he doesn’t have a complete skull, and that I’m… Continue reading Introducing Bob
Money, Marriage, and Compromise
Marriage, I've heard, is about compromise. With money being one of the biggest sources of tension between married couples, it makes sense that learning to compromise early on about money will lead to a happier marriage. You can’t always buy yarn and still go out for an expensive meal; sometimes you have to choose what… Continue reading Money, Marriage, and Compromise
Knitting through the Honeymoon
I've been married for almost seven months. Since my wedding I've knit 25 hats, five sweaters, three scarves, and one blanket. I started my first "married life" knitting project on the third day of my honeymoon. It was a ribbed seed stitch hat in my wedding colors--deep reds and purples. I pretended that it was… Continue reading Knitting through the Honeymoon
Knit Neutrality 