About a month ago, Rob, Scarlett, and I were headed over the Golden Gate Bridge in our glamorous silver mobility van. Alcatraz Island sat to our right, and city views rose behind us, but I always prefer to look left, out at the ocean and the world that never seems to end. I was singing along with my Napster playlist, which was streaming The Lumineers. I love to sing in the car, even though my voice is now much softer than it used to be, but my singing served another purpose as well, to regulate my breathing. We were headed to a friend’s apple farm in Sebastopol for the day, and although we had brought my BiPAP with us, I was hoping not to use it. I have no idea if the singing actually helps in any way, except perhaps to irritate Rob, which is good enough for me. Just kidding, he loves it when I sing (I tell myself regularly.)

The apple farm is owned and run by the family of one of Scarlett’s classmates. We visited for the first time last fall, a trip that was special in a lot of ways, but in particular because the house had previously been owned by a woman whose husband had ALS. That means the home is entirely accessible, and that’s not something we encounter very often.

There are 39 families in Scarlett’s first grade class, and everyone was invited up to the farm Read More>