In Her Own Words: Penny on Independence and Self-Advocacy
When Penny was first born and diagnosed with Down syndrome, Peter and I went through a hard season in which we felt like our expectations for parenting were overturned now…
In Their Own Words: William and Marilee on Having a Sister with Down Syndrome
I’ve written a LOT about our family over the course of the past decade, and I’m glad our kids are old enough to do a little bit of writing for…
In Her Own Words: Penny on Church and Faith
Penny has grown up going to church with our family. She’s also grown up with parents who pray, read the Bible, and offer sporadic attempts to include their children in…
In Her Own Words: Penny on Healthy Eating and Exercise
In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I’ve asked our daughter Penny (who is 13 and has Down syndrome) to share some reflections on her life in her own words.…
Letter from Penny to a New Mother of a Baby with Down Syndrome
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month! Over the course of the next month, I’ll share my own thoughts about Down syndrome and the ways having a child with a disability…
William Becker Reviews “This is What Democracy Looks Like”
My son William is a curious and inquisitive eleven year old. He loves to learn and to discuss big ideas. I wrote a book called Small Talk a few years…
Back to School for the Becker Family – Fall 2019
We celebrated going back to school last week with a dinner out at our local tavern. I used to ask the kids pretty regularly how they've grown in their bodies,…
First Day of School: Penny Starts Eighth Grade – In Her Own Words
I always thought middle school would be the time when life for a child with Down syndrome got hard. The infant and toddler years held their share of medical challenges.…
Summer Rewind: Why We Still Go To Church
Summertime is the hardest time for us to convince our kids, and ourselves, to go to church on Sunday mornings. They want to go to the beach. They want to…
Love in the Midst of the Mess
You may be familiar with the words of 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not rude…” I…
