Life has a way of pulling the rug out from under us. One moment, things feel steady and safe, and the next, everything you thought you knew is gone. In those moments, you can either give in to despair or search for a deeper meaning. Elizabeth Grace Harris chose the second path, and her book Dojo Johnjohn is the result of that choice.
The book is a raw, honest account of a mother’s journey through unexpected challenges, told through the journals she kept for her son before he was even born, and long after. It’s about resilience, unconditional love, and the way life’s most challenging moments can become a doorway to transformation.
A Mother’s Hope
Elizabeth had always longed for a child. For years, it seemed like it would never happen. And then, when she had finally let go of the dream, life surprised her; she was pregnant. Out of joy and anticipation, she began journaling to her unborn baby. She wanted to capture everything—the wisdom, the daily moments of love—so that one day, her child could read those pages and know her heart.
But life didn’t unfold the way she expected. Her son, Johnjohn, was born with special needs, and the dreams she had once carried were shaken. Rather than giving up on the journaling, Elizabeth kept writing. The pages became her way of processing the pain, of holding onto hope, and of learning to see her son’s life through a different lens.
Facing the Unexpected
It’s easy to love when life follows the script we imagine. It’s harder when that script is torn up. Elizabeth shares her firsthand experience about facing the disappointment of expectations unmet, and the heartbreak of realizing her son might never read the journals she so lovingly wrote.
But instead of seeing his limitations as the end of their story, she began to see them as an invitation. What if his way of being in the world wasn’t a tragedy, but a gift? What if life could look different than what we are conditioned to expect?
Soon, she learned to live with both the heartbreak and the beauty, and discovered that unconditional Love often grows strongest in the very places we feel most broken.
Lessons From Johnjohn
Johnjohn became her teacher. It was not through words, because he couldn’t speak, and had profound cognitive delays. His teaching came through his presence. By being exactly who he was, Elizabeth began to see that his very existence carried lessons. Lessons about patience. Lessons about seeing beyond limitations. Lessons about Love that aren’t based on performance or achievement. He became her Dojo, where she learned a deeper mental discipline, as well as a transformative renewing of her mind. She lived in a world that said her son only took from society, a world that said that the only people who give back are those who do so in a physically tangible way, through intellect and external achievement. She began to see the gift of those like Johnjohn, how they too give back to our world. What we perceive as disability is actually a profound ability to change hearts. They cultivate the intangible by offering circumstances to cultivate a deeper Love, thereby balancing a society through both intellect AND heart. She learned of a Love which in greek is called ‘Agapé’. Agapé is a Love that gives without asking for anything back, Love that seeks the best for another, even if it requires sacrifice from yourself. And as you read her words, you can feel how deeply she lived it. And it is a Love that contributes to a functional society for everyone.
For Anyone Who’s Had the Rug Pulled Out
Now, maybe you’re not raising a child with special needs. Maybe your story looks completely different. But I think almost all of us know what it feels like to have the rug pulled out from under us. A diagnosis. A broken relationship. A job we thought we’d always have, gone.
In those moments, you face a choice. You can stay bitter, clinging to what should have been. Or you can open yourself up to what is, and let Love meet you there. That’s what this book speaks to. It’s not just for mothers. It’s for anyone who’s had to start over with a different story than the one they planned.
A Strength
What strikes most about Elizabeth’s story is the kind of strength it shows. It’s not the “tough it out, grit your teeth, push through” strength we often admire. It’s softer. It’s the strength to stay, to keep loving, to surrender when nothing makes sense. She writes about resilience as something that bends, not something that refuses to break. And honestly, that feels a lot more like real life.
Why This Book Matters
We don’t talk enough about the messy parts of life. We share the highlights, the wins, the moments that look good on social media. But we don’t often talk about the heartbreak, the disappointment, the deep fear of not knowing what tomorrow holds.
Dojo Johnjohn tells the truth. It doesn’t hide the struggle. It doesn’t pretend that love makes everything easy. But it also doesn’t leave you hopeless. It shows that Love—especially unconditional (Agapé) Love—is bigger than fear, bigger than loss, bigger than the unknown.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, Dojo Johnjohn is about a mother and her son. But it’s also about all of us. Because sooner or later, life throws something at us we didn’t plan for. And in that moment, we have to decide: will we close off, or will we open our hearts wider?
Elizabeth chose the second path. She decided to keep writing, to keep loving, and to share her journey with the rest of us.
If you’re in a season where life feels uncertain, where the story you wanted isn’t the story you’re living, this book might give you hope. It won’t erase the struggle. But it might remind you that love doesn’t quit, even when everything else does.
And sometimes, that reminder is enough to keep going.