Variety is the spice of life. – Author Unknown
It’s 7: 38 PM on day 346 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, feed myself an avocado sandwich for breakfast, read 9 ways to always have hope for your child with special needs on Love That Max, tweet about my Clean Water For All Campaign – no luck – watch TV, tweet and Facebook about my campaign –still no luck but hey I tried my very best I asked and asked and asked and I will get up and do it all again tomorrow because I refuse to sit back and wait for someone else to change the world when I can do it myself – feed myself rice and curry for lunch, watch some more TV, feed myself rice and curry for dinner and brush my teeth once more.
As I’ve mentioned in one of my previous post August is Women’s Month here in South Africa and that in combination with the fact that I’m always trying to do something I’ve never done before compelled me to interview one of the most extraordinary women I’ve had the pleasure of meeting on the World Wide Web. Take a look:
Ellen Seidman: Warrior Mom
Ellen and her son - Max
For those who don’t know, who is Ellen Seidman?
Ellen: I am a mom of two, a magazine editor, a blogger, a do-er, a dreamer.
How, when and why did you start blogging?
Ellen: I started blogging to help inspire other moms of kids with special needs. I’d had a very rough time during Max’s early years, and I wanted mothers out there to know that things do get better. I never imagined how much I’d be inspired in return.
What advice would you give people who are thinking of starting their own blogs?
Ellen: Read lots of blogs and see what makes them must-reads. Also, find a blogger mentor—someone you look up to—and ask for their advice.
What were your biggest challenges when you first started blogging?
Ellen: Finding the time! That’s still a challenge!
Do you sometimes feel the need to censor what you write for fear that you might in some way hurt those that you love?
Ellen: I never, ever write anything that would embarrass my son, either now or years from now when he might someday be able to read this blog.
When I read your posts I more often than not think wow she is an extraordinary mother do you see yourself that way?
Ellen: Really, I see myself as a mother trying to do her best. But thank you.
What was your initial reaction when you found out that your precious baby boy had Cerebral Palsy?
Ellen: By then, we were very aware of his challenges, so the diagnosis itself was not a surprise. They were just two words. Max was bigger than the CP.
How do you feel when all people see when they look at your son is his “disability”? (I feel like punching someone when that happens to me lucky for whoever that somebody is at the time I was raised better than that LOL 🙂 )
Ellen: It’s hard to tell what people are feeling when they look at my son, though I do see the pity in their eyes at times. “I’m so sorry,” people will say when I tell them Max has CP. “Don’t be,” I’ll say. “He’s an awesome kid.”
How has your son having Cerebral Palsy affected your marriage?
Ellen: I am more in awe of my husband than ever for all the help he gives to Max. I never know what vast amount of patience and dedication he could have! I could do without the farting contests, though.
Thank you Ellen for graciously answering my questions it’s been a great honour sharing you with my readers. To find out more about Ellen and what she gets up to on a daily bases visit her blog at www.lovethatmax.com
Are we connecting on Twitter? If not, say hi at http://twitter.com/Nisha360
If you’ve given to my cause or you can’t give now, please help me by sharing my cause with others. You can tweet about it like my friend Stan Faryna. This is the tweet he uses: @Nisha360 is a brave, smart young woman trying to make a better world for us all. Please help her do an amazing thing. http://bit.ly/hC7vOu
Stan’s very sweet for saying so, but feel free to write what reflects you best.
Thanks to all my friends out there who are helping me make my dream come true: to make a better world for all of us!
