Midwest Mimi

  • Alzheimerā€™s Caregiver Grief: How Families Experience Love and Loss Before Goodbye

    I lost my mother to Alzheimerā€™s disease in the summer of 2020 after an eight-year journey into loss. Her death brought acute sadness but also relief, not just for our family, but for my mom, who hadnā€™t been fully herself in quite some time. Because of our familyā€™s faith, we had the comfort of knowing…

  • 10 Chronic Illness Hacks That Truly Make Life Easier

    Living with chronic illness means that everyday life takes more energy, planning, and creativity than most people realize. Over the last ten years, Iā€™ve had to learn how to adapt and find little ways to make things easier, not just for me, but for my whole family. These arenā€™t ā€œperfect life hacksā€ from the internet.…

  • The Difference Between Canceling and Choosing Rest

    When you live with chronic illness, disability, or even just the daily realities of parenting, plans donā€™t always unfold the way you imagine. Sometimes, life forces you to cancel. Other times, you make the choice to rest. On the surface they can look the same: youā€™re not showing up. But the meaning and the weight…

  • Accessibility Wins

    Why Accessibility Lives in the Details When people think about accessibility, they often picture big-ticket itemsā€”expensive ramps, automatic doors, or large construction projects that take forever to complete. And while those things absolutely matter, accessibility in parks often comes down to the little things. Small details most people never notice, but that can make or…

  • How to Talk to Kids About Invisible Illness

    Recently, my fifteen-year-old daughter Raeleigh asked me if we could go to the mall. Makes senseā€”sheā€™s a teenager with her first job and a few dollars she was excited to spend. But that particular day, I was in pain and running on empty. My answer had to be, ā€œNot today.ā€ Her face shifted with disappointment,…

  • The Part of Vacation You Donā€™t See: Recovery Days After Missouri

    We just got back from our Missouri vacation. Iā€™m so glad we went and I truly enjoyed the time with my family. But hereā€™s the part you wonā€™t see in most travel posts: the recovery days. The first night home, I was asleep by 8 p.m. Yesterday, the day after we got back, I didnā€™t…

  • Why Nature Is One of the Best Grounding Tools We Have

    And why that matters for those with sensory sensitivities or mental health struggles Grounding helps calm the nervous system and brings us back to the present. Nature might be the most powerful (and underrated) grounding tool available. Hereā€™s how the outdoors supports mental health, especially for neurodivergent families like mine. What Does It Mean to…

  • What I Thought Healing Would Look Like (and What It Really Is)

    I used to think healing would be simple. I thought Iā€™d finally get the right diagnosis, start treatment, and feel like myself again. I thought Iā€™d go back to school and finish my masterā€™s in physical therapy. I thought Iā€™d have the energy to keep up with my daughter the way I wanted to. I…