Lori Lindstrom writes about what it was like to grow up with two special needs siblings and parents who spent the bulk of their time caring for them. She writes about feeling invisible within her own family.
In 2010 Alicia Meneses Maples coined the term Glass Child in a TedTalk in which she describes growing up with two special needs siblings and feeling invisible to her parents. She defined a Glass Child as one who grows up with a sibling with special needs, and in a family where the parents are so focused on the sibling’s care that their parents look right through them—invisible—as if they were made of glass.
It wasn’t until Lori became a grandmother, while writing about her dysfunctional childhood and feelings of invisibility, that Lori realized she, too, was a Glass Child. Everything about her life and what she experienced suddenly made sense.
Lori hopes her stories will educate others about the Glass Child syndrome, its symptoms, its detrimental effects if not identified and treated, and ways to heal from it.
If you know someone who could be a Glass Child, your time and energy can help turn them into a seen child. Or better yet, you may prevent them from becoming a Glass Child in the first place.
Lori’s work has appeared in literary magazines, online journals, and mixed-media platforms. Below are links to a few stories Lori has written about her life:
Two Identical Gifts
First published at Allium, A Journal of Poetry and Prose
September 2022
I Love You
First published at Discretionary Love
May 2022
Piano
First published at bioStories
August 2021
Featured Excerpt
Most of their adult children lived out of state, yet my husband’s parents called them every Sunday. Carl and I lived nearby, and they called us too; my husband talking on one extension, me on another. One Sunday, the call proceeded as usual, but this time, Nicole didn’t close with her normal “goodbye.” This time, she -paused and said, “We love you, Lori.”
I froze. I had only heard those words from my boyfriends and now my husband. I gripped the phone, not knowing what to say, and after an awkward gap, I threw out, “I love you, too.”
Bill and Nicole were affectionate, hugging and kissing me every chance they got. It didn’t take me long to feel comfortable with their demonstrative ways. I got a kick out of Bill’s intense bear hugs that left me wondering if he could accidentally break a rib. I could handle that.
What I couldn’t handle were Nicole’s words. They triggered feelings of unease and left me unhinged. When I heard my mother-in-law say, “We love you, Lori,” I realized how much I had been missing.
Last summer, I said to my brother, “I never heard ‘I love you’ from our parents.”
“I never heard it either.”
“I sure wish they’d told me,” I said.
Upcoming Work
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Rave Reviews About Lori’s Published Work
“Lori elevates her craft with everything she writes. Her working memoir has propulsive force and disquieting impact.“
~ Linda L.
“Her writing is compassionate, engaging, and deeply concerned with social issues, particularly the complexity of family life. She observes the world, and her characters within it, with a keen eye.”
~ Melissa G.
“Such a beautiful expression of a young girl in the 60s and the window of that experience we get to feel with the author... this story allows the readers to open our window and explore. Very honest, touching, and important.”
~ Nancy P.
Lori Lindstrom Author 