Fear of the Future and Finding Goodness
I expected to need tissues on the day Penny finished high school. I expected a sense of deep loss, and perhaps even dread about what lies ahead. For many kids with…
Penny in Her Own Words: Graduation and the Future
Penny is a high school graduate! Here are her reflections on graduation day and the future: I can’t really believe you have finished your final year of high school! How…
25 Years of Marriage
Twenty-five years ago today, Peter and I stood in a big white church in front of over 200 people. We vowed to have and to hold one another, to love…
Penny’s Final Dance Recital
I never ever imagined Penny would dance for twelve years. I knew dance was a good activity for her as a little kid with Down syndrome. It rewarded repetition. It…
Penny in Her Own Words: Senior Prom
We’ve been talking about senior prom all year long, and I wasn’t sure whether the event itself would be a letdown after so much anticipation. But here’s what Penny, our…
Alumni Weekend
Peter and I have an odd story of meeting, and dating, and marriage. He was from New Orleans. I was from Connecticut. We met at 16, in boarding school. The…
A Wild Weekend
How do you make it through a wild weekend that includes one daughter’s dance rehearsals, another’s soccer games, your son’s performance in Hamlet, and your husband’s installation as a Head…
Mothers Who Went Before
My uncle sent me this photo for Mother's Day. It shows my great-grandmother (far left), my mother, and my grandmother. I love this snapshot of multiple generations gathering together to…
Stop and Watch the Bears
I never thought I would be a person with bear cubs in the backyard… I could watch these little ones all day. Our life is full this time of year.…
Our Love for Each Other Matters Most
What matters most is our love for each other. Yesterday I had a chance to meet with two different groups of people from around the nation and around the globe—California,…
