A mother's ‘strength and perseverance paid off'
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TODAY'S STARTING POINT
People have been depicting mother and child in art and imagery for almost as long as art and imagery have existed.
Carved figurines of women nursing babies in their arms
The mother-child pairing often evokes themes of love, protection, and connection. Last month, the Globe
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You can see the image, which Globe photographer Craig Walker captured, above. It shows Jen Fowler pressing her face against that of her 12-year-old son Dante at their home in Wakefield, Mass. If Fowler looks tired and worn, it's for good reason. Dante, who has severe autism, is midway through a 40-minute emotional outburst. And because of those outbursts, the local school had told Jen in late 2023 that it could no longer teach Dante.
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As Jen searched for a school that would, she quit her job and became her son's full-time teacher, planning lessons and buying educational equipment with her own money. Dante, isolated from his former classmates, became less affectionate toward her, more apathetic about learning, and more distressed. To calm him, Jen sometimes had to lie on top of Dante as he flailed his limbs and cried, as in Craig's photo.
But as Craig puts it, 'Ultimately, Jen's love, strength, and perseverance paid off.' Earlier this year, Jen and Dante learned that a school in Franklin, Mass., that specializes in teaching children with autism and other disabilities had an opening. Dante's first day there was in April.
'I'd like to think that any mother or parent, for that matter, could relate to this photograph,' Craig says.
Craig's photo is one of the best that the Globe published last month, as chosen by editors.
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1 Down:
93°
POINTS OF INTEREST
Change in Chinatown:
Global restaurant chains have been arriving in the ethnic enclave, bearing bubble tea and hot pot and
Mass. echoes:
Zohran Mamdani won NYC's Democratic mayoral primary with ideas like free buses, rent control, and a tax on millionaires.
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Cautionary tale:
Columbia tried to negotiate with the Trump administration. Here's
Measles surge:
The year is only half over, and already there have been
Hunger in America:
In May, 15.6 percent of US adults surveyed by Morning Consult said they sometimes or often didn't have enough to eat, a shocking statistic for the wealthiest country in the world. (
Deadline governance:
From tariffs to TikTok, Trump's governing style
Not exactly:
An email sent by the Trump Administration claimed that the new spending bill eliminates taxes on Social Security benefits for most recipients. Turns out that's not quite true. (
Gaza negotiations:
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House today, Trump will be eager to advance a cease-fire deal with Hamas. (
Taking her cut:
When Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem was governor of South Dakota, she secretly accepted some of the money she raised for a nonprofit that promotes her political career, tax records show. (
Globe event:
Our colleague Cristina Silva, one of the paper's managing editors, will host a panel July 15 about the impact Latinos are having in Massachusetts and the challenges they face.
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BESIDE THE POINT
By Teresa Hanafin
🤷♀️
The WDNC Club:
Arm fat. Chin hairs. Laundry. Your opinion. Perimenopausal and menopausal women say: We do not care. (
🎨
Free events:
Art classes, reading clubs, early Bastille Day celebrations, and
📺
This week's TV:
Lena Dunham's 'Too Much,' Bono and Sting look back at Live Aid, another cold-case drama, and
🍵
The next thing:
A Chicagoland food column says the hōjicha latte is an underhyped drink with the potential to dethrone matcha as the drink of choice among pilates princesses and GenZers. (
🚉
Hit the ... track?
Here are
📚
The most scathing book reviews of 2024:
Including a look at Melania Trump's cliché-riddled memoir and Malcolm Gladwell's hollow brand extension. (
🥪
Food scene:
Mike & Patty's & its fabulous egg sandwiches opens in Lexington, Salsa Shack popped up in Brighton, and
Thanks for reading Starting Point.
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