RECENT POSTS
What Happened When 30 High Schoolers Met Our Daughter
President Trump’s use of the r-word to describe Tim Walz sparked a huge increase in the word on social media, and the majority of that increase came from
“Do Not Fear” Is a Promise
In church this Sunday, we heard about the angels who appeared to the shepherds and said, “Do not fear.” It’s a refrain within the Christmas
December 2025 | Things Worth Your Time
Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month
Christmas and the Hospitality of Need
REIMAGINING THE GOOD LIFE PODCAST S9 E6 — In a season of parties and entertaining, it’s good to remember that hospitality means something very different—welcoming
The Joy I Didn’t Expect on a Saturday Morning
It is hard to convey the joy I felt while standing among six young adults with disabilities on a Saturday morning. In this case, I
A Lifeline for Disability Parents: Your Feedback, Our Future
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST BONUS — Feeling alone in the hard parts of parenting a child with a disability? Hear how other families are
Living Between Merry and Somber
As we turn the corner into December, I’m thinking about what often feel like contradictory things. On the one hand, I literally purchased a giant
No one should use the r-word as an insult.
President Trump posted on Truth Social last week in a rant against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz that Walz was “seriously retarded” in light of Minnesota’s
The World Is the Wrong Shape for Women
REIMAGINING THE GOOD LIFE PODCAST S9 E5 — There is a lot of conversation right now about the role of women and men in society.
Joy Doesn’t Have to Look Like a Hallmark Movie
When your family includes disability, you can’t do every holiday thing. Joy doesn’t have to look like a Hallmark movie. The holidays can pull us
Grateful for the Gifts of an “Unperfect” Season
Happy Thanksgiving! I’ve heard so many people lately say that Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday because it comes with less of the stress and intensity
When the Holidays Feel Disappointing {Especially for Disability Families}
As we move into the holiday season, I’m so thankful for this invitation from psychotherapist Niro Feliciano to approach these weeks with gentleness, flexibility, and
From Chaos to Calm-ish: Holiday Survival for Disability Parents
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E11 — Feeling the holiday overwhelm creep in already? Psychotherapist Niro Feliciano, author of All is CALMish, unpacks why disability families
November 2025 | Things Worth Your Time
Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month
A Friendship “Pile-Up of Goodness” in Our House
Anyone who has read this newsletter or followed me on social media knows that I have been beating a drum of taking one small step1 at a time toward a
What do we do when we’re preoccupied with ourselves?
If you’ve been around here for awhile, you probably know I think a lot about what makes life good and what gets in the way
From Frustration to Connection: The Power of Proximity in Disability Parenting
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E10 — If your home feels tense or chaotic, connection might be a missing piece. Recording artist Sho Baraka joins
COGNOSCENTI | What prenatal testing can’t tell you
Having a child with Down syndrome has been an irrational, unprovable good. In a world of increasing mechanization, measurement and merit, we need people like
