From Fear to Future: How Families Plan for a Good Life with Sheli Reynolds, PhD
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E24—"I don't know what life can look like for my child." If you've ever felt that, this episode is for you. Sheli Reynolds, PhD, is…
Finding Your People After a Diagnosis: Community, Disability, and Hope
We experienced a wellspring of response when our daughter Penny was born and diagnosed with Down syndrome. People showed up in prayer, meals, messages, and care. And like so many…
Belovedness Before Achievement: Rethinking What Makes Us Matter
Penny and I checked out a Special Olympics track team last week. I’m going to write more about that experience—it’s a whole other story—sometime later this spring, but for now…
How to Find Your People When You Feel Invisible with Katherine Wolf
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E23—The meals stop coming. The texts slow down. And suddenly you feel like you’re navigating disability alone. Friends can be great at showing up in…
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The “Glass Child” Myth: What Siblings of Kids with Disabilities Really Need
When our daughter who has Down syndrome was younger, our weeks were often filled with driving to doctor’s appointments, therapy visits, and specialist consultations. Some were an hour away. I…
Do Siblings of Children with Disabilities Struggle More? Rethinking the “Glass Child” Narrative
We went out to dinner as a family on Sunday. There was nothing exceptional about it. William told us about his European History class. We marvelled at Marilee’s auditory memory—she…
Disability + Siblings: What the Research Says with Meghan Burke, PhD
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E22—Is having a sibling with a disability hard on kids? Researcher Meghan Burke has spent years studying (and living) this question. Her findings might surprise…
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Why Naming Grief in Community Makes Hope Possible
Why does naming grief in community make hope possible? We often imagine hope as something we generate internally, but so much of hope is actually formed in relationship. It emerges…
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Regret, Gratitude, and Middle Age: Learning to Receive the Life You’ve Been Given
No one ever told me that middle age would be marked by regret. I didn’t know the “choose your own adventure” of my upper-middle class existence would come to an…
After Diagnosis: Grief Isn’t the End of the Story with Dr. Curt Thompson
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E21—As the mom of a daughter with Down syndrome, I have felt my fair share of complicated emotions over these past twenty years. And sometimes,…
