How can you put a price on love?  My amazing son sings all my songs by heart but can’t cross the street safely!  Stands up at a Celtic Women concert and blows kisses to the girls, but would accidentally burn down the kitchen if not watched.  This wonderful young man who would wander away and go into any house on the street, is my reason for living. He is the greatest joy I have ever known, and also the one who makes it impossible to work out of the house, or have any freedom like adults usually have.  I have made the sacrifices willingly and with great love and joy.  My life is caring for my son.  Everything else takes second place.

What are the sacrifices?  We were just evicted from our home because the landlord made bad investments and was going under.  I have found a new place, but my music students will not follow to the new community; I usually work in my house as a music teacher to make ends meet.  Right now, there are no ends to meet.  The small amount of social security my son receives and the IHSS money that I get for caring for him are our lifeline. Without it we would join the ranks of the homeless.  I will work to build back my students, but my time is very limited and I can’t spend the day working on marketing the way someone else could.  So we hope and pray that the governor doesn’t cut the lifeline.

It seems a strange irony to me that with the economy so bad, and people getting foreclosed on, the government has decided to cut the lifeline of the very poorest and most in need.  These are the very people that will join the homeless ranks without our small subsidies.  And if I find myself homeless, my only option will be to ask for residential care for my son who will never understand why his mommy can’t live there with him. It will break our hearts … and worse… it will cost the state so much more to care for him that way.

Has the governor thought about all the public homes (institutions) they will need when they cut the cost- effective IHSS program that keeps disabled people in their own homes?  Has he thought about the cost to his administration when national news is full of homeless disabled people all over California?

When I fill out the time card for caring for my own son, I am always amused — listing the number of hours I supposedly care for my son.  Doesn’t the governor know that I spend 24 hours a day caring for my son?  I spend way more time in every category than what is allotted.  Where are these so called cheats? I don’t know any.  We are all just families caring for the child or parent that God gave us to care for.  The hours we’re paid for are so much less than what we actually give…. And that’s ok.  We would go to the ends of the earth or climb the highest mountain to lovingly tend our loved one.  But it does hurt to see politics being played over our most precious burden.

Yesterday my son and I took the ferry over to the Convention Center to watch the Comic-Con characters. We played some music for the conventioneers.  Yes, my amazing son plays penny whistle and loves music so much he’s the last to stop playing at any gathering.  He’s a two note wonder with a trill, but he fits in and loves every moment of it. His life is good, and we have great times together. Why would any administration want to rip children and parents apart in this political football game?

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