Meritocracy Is the Antithesis to Love | Plough Essay
Meritocracy is the antithesis to love. I first wrote those words almost two years ago, when we were traveling cross-country and we were taking regular hikes as a family. On…
A Glimpse of Belonging at the Beginning of Down Syndrome Awareness Month
I dream of a world where everyone belongs. Last weekend, Penny was a bridesmaid in her old-babysitter-best-friend-for-life’s wedding, and I got a little glimpse of the joy of belonging. (Go…
What’s Wrong With Having Down Syndrome?
What’s wrong with having Down syndrome? It was a question I asked many years ago, when our daughter Penny was first diagnosed with an extra copy of the 21st chromosome.…
Texas’s Abortion Law and Down Syndrome
"Why would it be a bad thing for five times more people with Down syndrome to be in the world?" asked my 13-year-old son William, whose older sister Penny has…
I Know to Expect Penny To Be Human
I look back on these words I wrote about Penny so many years ago in A Good and Perfect Gift, and I think, Yes. That’s it. I was no longer…
In the “Woods” of Disability
"It wasn’t as if a doctor would ever say about her extra chromosome, 'It was touch-and-go for a while there, but now we’re out of the woods.' No, the woods—as…
Giveaway! Books About Down Syndrome
G I V E A W A Y !!!!!!!!! I've teamed up with some awesome authors, and you can win 7 books all about Down syndrome🙌🏽📚  🎉This giveaway is…
Public Service Announcement: How to Talk to a Person With an Intellectual Disability
When Penny sat down to receive the shot for her Covid-19 vaccine, the nurse looked at her directly and asked, “Full name? Date of birth? Have you ever had an…
Surprised by Our Teenager With Down Syndrome
In the past few weeks, I’ve been surprised by Penny, our 15-year-old daughter who has Down syndrome. I was surprised when she recited the Gettysburg Address in preparation for doing…
Missing Out on Beautiful: Growing Up With a Child With Down Syndrome {Paperback}
December 30, 2005. That’s the day our daughter Penny was born. She was diagnosed with Down syndrome a few hours later. World Down Syndrome Day is coming up on March…
