Today is World Down Syndrome Day, a day in which we celebrate the life of our daughter Penny and of all the women and men with Down syndrome all over the globe. For a variety of reasons, including the current extreme social distancing most Americans are practicing, I want to recommend you celebrate this day with a movie night!
For our movie night, Penny has chosen chicken parm as her meal of choice, followed by ice cream sundaes. We may throw in a round of Scattergories, which has recently become a family favorite.
And then we will probably make popcorn in William’s Star Wars popcorn maker, and sit down in front of a movie. I’ll recommend two if you’re also interested in a movie night that celebrates World Down Syndrome Day:
First, there’s Normie, an exceptional documentary about a young woman with Down syndrome exploring the concept of normal with our family playing a small part in that journey. This film is only available this weekend for streaming, so if you haven’t seen it yet, now is the perfect moment.
Second, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a wonderful story about an unexpected friendship between a young man with Down syndrome and a young man with a troubled past that underscores the value of every fragile and beautiful life among us.
Ice cream sundaes, cuddling on the couch with our kids, and remembering the relationships that matter—that sounds like exactly the right way to celebrate the gift of our daughter tonight.
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Do you want to read more? Here are some suggestions:
- Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon
- Clips from the Film Normie & Grappling with “Normal”
- Normie – A Down Syndrome Coming of Age Film
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