One of the things they tell you when you’re a parent of a child with disabilities is that the bureaucracy is going to be awful. I thought it would be. (And maybe it still will be!) But I talked to a woman from the Social Security Administration last week who could not have been more lovely in helping to walk me through how to support Penny in applying for Social Security benefits now that she has turned 18.

And I just want to report that because sometimes there are people who are doing their jobs really well, who are on your team, and who want to make this world a place where people with disabilities are given the rights and the supports that they deserve. Last week it felt like I met one of those people. This woman helped us. She was kind and gracious and generous, and I’m really grateful.