What fear can teach us.
As a certified chicken, this was big. I hate heights, hate going fast, and hate anything that puts me at risk of personal injury.
Book Excellence Awards winner
Growth
A Mother, Her Son, and the Brain Tumor They Survived
When her eight-year-old son begins to exhibit increasingly bizarre behaviors, a happily married mother of two must meet the overwhelming demands of motherhood and wrestle with her fear of conflict if she and her son are to survive.
Also available at your local bookstore, or ask your library to order it.
Reviews
“Exquisite vulnerability. DeBonis’s grounded perspective on personal growth helps readers see their own limitations with compassion.”
“Resoundingly honest. A poignant memoir. DeBonis’s frank, tender examination… reveals the ways that our most challenging circumstances can bring about profound transformation.”
“A saga of personal transformation and resilience that will resonate with any parent charged with acting in their child’s best interests, against all odds.”
“A mesmerizing story. I highly recommend this five-star book. Growth is an exceptional story that you will long remember.”
“What keeps this memoir a page-turner is DeBonis’s natural and relatable storytelling. Every page is deeply personal, honest, and down to earth.”
“DeBonis’s language is clear, raw, and truthful, revealing the complicated sides of motherhood and her own struggles.”
Can a woman who never learned to stand up for herself find the courage to speak up for her son?
Karen is a happily married, slightly frazzled mother of two when her eight-year-old son, Matthew, develops a strange eye-rolling tic.
Matthew’s tics quickly multiply. He becomes clumsy and lethargic, a gifted program dropout. Karen tries to get her husband and their pediatrician to acknowledge what’s happening, but they dismiss her concerns. As a people-pleaser, Karen lacks the skills to assert herself and stifles the growing dread in her heart.
For three years, Matthew steadily deteriorates while Karen questions if she possesses the fortitude required of motherhood. Finally, desperation breaks through her fear of conflict, and she demands answers, only to be horrified by the truth.
Matthew has a brain tumor.
A delicate surgery and promise of complete recovery convince Karen her battle is over. But she is wrong. The ensuing years launch her on a journey of perseverance and personal growth she never imagined, teaching Karen just how weak she is, and then exactly how strong.
From the blog
Essays on motherhood, people-pleasing, and personal growth.
Is it okay to tell a friend to shut up?
In the past, I’d have put my friend’s needs above my own–classic pleasing.
Can shame make you sick?
I made it all about her–the babysitter.–about protecting her feelings rather than protecting my child.
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