Homecoming and Belonging
As a mother of a child with a disability, school events can be rough. I’m talking about everything from dances to sports to eating lunch in the cafeteria. I don’t…
As a mother of a child with a disability, school events can be rough. I’m talking about everything from dances to sports to eating lunch in the cafeteria. I don’t…
I want to tell you about every moment from Hope Heals camp. But even with all my words and stories, and even with Ashley Monogue’s gorgeous photography (montage below), and…
In typical American life, some people win and others lose. Some people get the award and others get no recognition. Some people are considered better than others. It’s not that…
Penny sent me a text on her first night of Camp PALS: “With my favorite girl at my favorite place.” The next day, the text read, “Best year ever.” Penny…
I’ve had to learn not to sacrifice our daughter on the altar of my ideology. When Penny was a toddler, I read an article about a teenager with Down syndrome…
How do you know if your community is a place of belonging? Professor Erik Carter has articulated ten “dimensions of belonging.” He created this model for churches to assess whether…
I remember a day 17 years ago when Peter and I had spent hours with Penny at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. We were exhausted. But he needed to attend…
I walked into the gym a few minutes late. Penny was perched on the sidelines along with the other cheerleaders. The boys’ basketball team had taken a slight lead. I…
I felt pretty skeptical about Night to Shine. If you aren’t familiar with this event, it’s an annual gathering for teenagers (and adults) with disabilities, hosted by churches, and sponsored…
One of my shining moments as a mother was forcing Penny to try out for cheerleading last year. I told her she didn’t have to participate if she made it,…