An Autism Mom’s Cancer Journey Continues
http://busingers.ca/photo/ Jul 13, 2023
In some ways, this July 4th was a celebration for me personally as well as for our country. My breast cancer surgeon said the lab results on my lumpectomy were negative. “Clean margins and no spread to the lymph nodes.” I am deeply relieved and grateful. But happy?...
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An Autism Mom Explains Breast Cancer to Her Daughter
Before I could explain my recent breast cancer diagnosis to Samantha, I had to understand it myself. How could this have happened? No one in my family has breast cancer. I was never a smoker or heavy drinker. I exercise, eat healthy and maintain my weight. I even take...
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Love Letter to a Difficult Mom
My first Mother’s Day without my mom is coming up on Sunday, May 7th. Friends ask if I miss her and how it will feel to celebrate without her. Honestly, no, I won’t miss her. Long ago, I deeply missed the love and kindness that I needed so badly as a child. But I...
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Autism and Aging Out
Why are there fewer audition opportunities for my daughter Samantha this year? According to her acting coach, Samantha is aging out. Every year more aspiring actors graduate from college. Those recent graduates—with and without disabilities—are competing with Samantha...
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Size Matters
In the best of all possible worlds, size should not matter any more than race, gender and sexual orientation. Obviously, 2023 is still light years away from this ideal, according to a Sunday New York Times article “In Fashion, Thinness Still Rules.” Hardly, front...
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Everyone Needs an Uncle Andy (or Aunt)
Our family is lucky to have an Uncle Andy. We met decades ago and he became a lifelong friend to me and my family. Like a modern-day fairytale, it all started with our parents many moons ago… Once upon a time, when I was 15 and Andy was 18, we met in Venice on a water...
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The Elasticity of Time
Time flies when you’re having fun—or even when you’re not. My phone and cable box tell me the correct time without fail. My new grandfather clock is 10 minutes slow and I’m not sure how to correct it. I’m supposed to tighten the screw at the bottom of the pendulum,...
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Home for the Holidays – Musical Rooms
When my son comes home for the holidays, we end up playing a game I call Musical Rooms. (Hint: The game is a lot like musical chairs, except I’m the one who’s left without a room). After my son moved to LA over six years ago, we decided to downsize from a...
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Navigating Autism Dating Sites
“Why doesn’t Samantha try a dating site?” My son’s girlfriend suggested that Samantha look for a new boyfriend on-line because that’s how she met Matthew. “What a great idea!” I had thought of it myself years ago, but knew that Samantha would need an autism dating...
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Autism, Optional and Oxymoron
My daughter Samantha, a 31- year-old autistic performer, told me she didn’t want to go to an “optional” rehearsal with Jonathan, her music coach—just four days before her very first one-woman show. That’s when explaining the nuances of meaning embedded in the word...
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About Marguerite
Marguerite Elisofon is a New York City writer and the author of My Picture Perfect Family, a memoir about how her family navigated life with a child on the autistic spectrum before the internet and support groups existed. She also blogs about parenting young adults and disability related issues in The Never Empty Nest. Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications, including Time and NY Metro Parents magazine, and her family’s story has been featured by the NY Post, Fox News, The Daily Mail, and on Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Sexy Funny radio show. A Vassar graduate, Marguerite was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives with her husband, Howard, in their mostly-empty nest. She is available to speak about a wide variety of issues relating to twins, parenting, and autism. 