RECENT POSTS
COGNOSCENTI | Why our family still makes time for church on Sundays
“On Sunday mornings, our family does something unusual. We wake our three teenagers earlier than they want, shower and dress up a little bit, and
Penny’s Senior Night as a Cheerleader
If you had told me when she was born that our daughter with Down syndrome would be a Varsity cheerleader at our local high school,
S7 E 10 | Disability and the Language We Use with Andrew Leland
Apple YouTube Spotify More! Is blindness an incidental characteristic, like hair color? Or is it an identity? What language should we use to talk about
How to Talk With Siblings About Disability
How should I talk with my typically-developing kids about a brother or sister who has a disability? As the mother of an 18-year-old with Down
Applying to the Emerging Pathways Program
Penny just submitted her application for an “emerging pathways” program on a local University campus. She spent hours filling out the forms and working on
Reimagining the Good Life. Disability. Faith. Culture.
Reimagining the Good Life. Disability. Faith. Culture. After months and months of conversation, that’s where we’ve landed as a concise way to invite people to
Reimagining Lent
Today is the first day of Lent, the church season of preparation for Easter. It’s a good time to reconsider this faith. For me this
Reimagining the Good Life Podcast
Apple YouTube Spotify More! This podcast has a new name: Reimagining the Good Life. If you’re asking, “Why a name change?” and “Why now?”—I have
If You’re a Parent Who Has Received a Hard Diagnosis About Your Child
If you are a parent who has recently received a hard diagnosis about your child, I have three thoughts that I want to offer. One,
The Disability Community Needs Grandparents Like These
I spoke with the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress Grandparents support group this week by Zoom, and what struck me most was that they all just
When Gratitude Interrupts
Last week, everything fell apart. Marilee got Covid, which came with a fever approaching 105. The car broke down and needed to be taken in
S7 E8 | The Gifts of an Evolving Faith with Sarah Bessey
Apple YouTube Spotify More! Is faith something that should always stay the same? Or is it something that evolves by necessity? Sarah Bessey, author of
Being Heumann
Can you imagine being denied the chance to even apply for a job? A job that you’re qualified for and that you’ve studied for and
Disability and Suffering Are Not the Same
Disability and suffering are not the same. I was so disappointed to read John McWhorter’s misunderstanding of disability in the NYT. He wrote: “To say
Helping Kids With Disabilities Move Toward Independence
For the moms who feel like they aren’t doing enough to help their kids (with disabilities) move toward independence, here are a few things I’ve
January Favorites 2024
Get my favorites delivered to your inbox each month! Subscribe here! Right now, my desk (and floor and bedside table) are overflowing with books. I order
Black History Month
As we enter Black History Month tomorrow, I want to highlight some of the Black voices who have helped me expand my understanding of Black
Disability and Self-Care Skills: Nail Clipping
“I have never known a person with Down syndrome who could cut their own fingernails.” I heard these words, and my stomach fell a little
I’m Working on a Video Teaching Series About Disability and Family
Sometimes the future comes at us like an assault. A tornado of unanswerable questions that suggest chaos is about to ensue. That’s what it felt
The Holdovers Is All About Grace
Okay, The Holdovers was just nominated for Best Picture by the Oscars. I want to submit that it is a deeply Christian film about disruptive
It’s Always Too Much | Four Thousand Weeks
So I’m in a really overwhelming time right now. We are in the midst of a long and drawn-out move. I’m staying in a rental
