If you are the praying kind

There is much to write about our trip to Las Vegas and the boy and little life details, but that all feels quite small now.

For several months, I've had the privilege of writing Stories of Inspiration for CarePages, a resource that offers free websites to people who need to communicate with loved ones when someone is facing an illness or injury.

CarePages is a great site and I get to interview and write profiles of the people who are using their own online updates and photo galleries to keep loved ones and even strangers connected. It has been a good writing challenge for me, a powerful and exhausting emotional investment and a part of my professional and spiritual calling.

Of course, as soon as I read the pages and interview the moms of premature babies, the dads of very ill kids, the people recovering from intensive cancer treatment -- whatever their situations and stories are -- I am involved. This investment is necessary as I write about them, but even more, is just what happens among people put together like this. Their stories impact me and that is a good thing, a growing thing.

Last month, I wrote a Story of Inspiration on Miles Levin, a 19-year old kid with a rare form of aggressive cancer and a lot to say. He's kept a prolific and philosophical blog on his CarePage and out of that and the energy he's fed to the universe during his treatment and travels over the last two years, he's been interviewed by Anderson Cooper and guest-blogged on Anderson Cooper 360, covered by CNN and met Bob Woodruff.

He's received many accolades. His mother and father and sister have guest-blogged on his CarePage and their insights and activism have touched me. He's received more than 5,000 messages to date and has made friends with many of the people from around the world who post on his message board.

And now, Miles is dying. His mother often talks about the spaceship coming for him and it feels strangely and sweetly right. Because I interviewed his father and because of the timing of the story, I've never met or spoken to Miles. But I feel close to him, perhaps because of the way he writes, perhaps because I wrote about him, perhaps because of where we each are in our journey.

As this happens, I am full of gratitude and some grief. It is hard to face that things like this happen to people, let alone kids, let alone boys with floppy brown hair and soulful eyes that of course remind me of my own sweet monkey. I am also full of prayers for the whole family, that they may find what they need in this single moment. Peace. Silence. Reassurance. Laughter. Sleep. Memories. Comfort. Hope. Whatever it is, I hope it winds its way to their home.

And if you are a person who prayers or pushes energy out into the world or just takes a moment of silence, will you join me? Today, for Miles Levin and his family.

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Mandatory helmet laws: The next frontier

This summer, my brother Seth celebrated five years of life after coming quite close to losing his own in 2002 in a motorcycle on a road outside of Richmond, Virginia.

I wrote about how his survive-iversary is really a ritual of gratitude for all of us who love him and who were there with him from hospital to rehabilitation and back to school. And now that account is going to be published on CarePages, an amazing site for people facing injuries and illnesses of their own or, as in my case, of someone they can't imagine life without. I've been writing for CarePages for several months and I am honored that our family will share our story with readers who are trying to piece their lives back together following a brain injury.

As that story makes its way on to people's screens, it felt important to also make a space for Seth's position paper on how the motorcycle helmet law of the Commonwealth of Virginia helped save his life and why it is imperative that we pass mandatory helmet laws in every state.

Yes, this is a controversial issue. It is tied in so tightly with politics that, if you will read Seth's paper you will find, it is hard to yank free the motorcycle "freedom of choice" argument from other issues like gun control. Organizations who are against mandatory helmet laws have co-opted progressive language of the pro-choice movement to put forth their loud and monied message that it is wrong to require this implement of safety for this one niche of riders. Clearly, as the sister of a man who survived a simple yet devastating motorcycle accident by grace and because of his helmet, I wholeheartedly support mandatory helmet laws and I stand against the corporations who put dollars and votes on anti-law organizations and politicians.

Seth's paper was written in 2003. Some things have changed. And now that we are on the brink of a Presidential election that I pray will swing the pendulum back toward a democratic administration, we have the opportunity to make even more changes.

This article by the ever-articulate Anna Quindlen makes a rock-solid parallel between freedom of choice and the necessity of voting. When I vote in this election, I will have some very heavy issues to weigh before I cast my ballot -- reproductive justice, health care, global warming, ending the war and bringing home the troops. I will also be paying attention to where the candidates stand on helmet laws and how their states fare in requiring riders to participate in saving their own lives and in saving countless millions of dollars in hospital and healthcare and roadway expenses.

Consider this as you narrow your list of candidates as well. And if you'd like to read Seth's position paper, it is published after the jump (simply click "Continue reading" below).

I know that seemingly small steps can make a difference. We're trying to teach our son that helmets and bikes go together, period. When he sees a motorcyclist or bicyclist without a helmet, he almost always asks, "Mommy, why does that biker not want to be safe?" That's a very good question, isn't it?

If you or someone you love has a brain injury, please feel free to share your story in the comments. Thanks for stopping by.                     

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Wished you were there.

I glanced at my calendar last week and realized that our first co-op meeting of the year has quietly crept up and that the regularity of our year will resume in only fifteen more days.

I love the fall. I love the back to school supplies that line the grocery store aisles and I love the shiny ads in the paper with new school clothes and dorm room organizers. I love the breeze and the leaves and the lunchboxes.

But I also hate to say goodbye to summer. And while that doesn't seem possible now that it is stubbornly 90-degrees in the city, I get a little anxious knowing how swiftly August will slip by.

Just to hold it close for these few weeks, here are a few photos from our summer (so far).

Little pieces of peace at the lake.

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