Fall is a busy time, between back to school, new routines, extracurriculars, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and all sorts of opportunities for outings and activities. This can be overwhelming for parents, especially those with chronic illness or disability, so how can we have our pumpkin (or apple!) pie and eat it too?
My picture book (Orca Book Publishers, March 2025), Kenzie’s Little Tree (illustrated by Emilie Leduc), features a mom like me who lives with chronic illness. In the season of fall, Kenzie and her family pick pumpkins and play hide and seek at the farm.
Just like Kenzie’s mom, I can typically enjoy a trip to the farm unless my illnesses are flaring. However, when my two-year-old asked me to rake and jump into piles of leaves, I had to say no. Raking and jumping do not play well with ankylosing spondylitis, plus at that time, I was dealing with an IBD flare.
Saying no initially led to mom-guilt and sadness about missing out on what I imagined would be an idyllic frolic in the leaves on a crisp autumn day. However, I eventually came to accept and be okay with my personal reality. These days, having my pie and eating it too means that I say no to certain activities, and instead focus on just a few adventures each season that will be physically manageable for me and enjoyable memories for all.
Check out the list below, choose an adventure or two – get a fork and dig in!
