People often ask me what it is like having a sibling with Down syndrome for our two younger children, Marilee and William. Is having their 16-year-old sister, Penny, in their lives different than having a typical sibling? Is her presence better? Worse?
They are impossible questions to answer, because Penny is the sister they have been given. And maybe that’s the answer in and of itself—she is a gift to them, and they are a gift to her…
I had a chance to write about why our kids are all gifts to each other (even though they annoy each other and get jealous of each other and all the other typical sibling things) for Mother.ly. To read more, go here…
More with Amy Julia Becker:
- Mother.ly: My daughter has Down syndrome, and her siblings are better for it
- The Truth About Disability and Siblings
- Penny: Facts About Me That I Believe Are True
- Book—A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny
- Free Resource: Missing Out on Beautiful: Growing Up With a Child With Down Syndrome
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