Pointe Shoes and Developing Perseverance
Penny got new pointe shoes last week. For a long time, I thought pointe—which requires strength in both the feet and ankles that I didn’t believe Penny would ever have—would…
My High Schooler’s Independence
I was recently reminded of my high schooler's independence. Last week I left the girls home alone together while I went to the grocery store. Before I went, I suggested…
Election Aftermath
It’s been a stressful week for most Americans when it comes to the state of our nation in the election aftermath. Even without a final verdict on who will be…
Amy Coney Barrett, Down Syndrome, and Abortion
I have a new essay about Amy Coney Barrett, Down syndrome, and abortion (really light topics with no controversy!) up at the Religion News Service site today. I’ve been thinking…
Announcing Missing Out on Beautiful, Part Two
Download FREE E-Book Our daughter Penny was born on December 30, 2005. She was diagnosed with Down syndrome a few hours later. It’s almost hard to remember what it felt…
S3 E16 | Normie: What is Normal Through the Lens of Down Syndrome with Annemarie Carrigan and Kurt Neale
What is normal? Normie is a coming-of-age film about a young woman with Down syndrome. Today, Annemarie Carrigan, the lead cast member of Normie, and Kurt Neale, the director and…
S3 E15 | Who Belongs? Disability and the Built World with Sara Hendren
How does “the built world”—the chairs, rooms, and streets that guide our bodies every day— implicitly ascribe worth to human beings? How does the built world welcome or exclude individuals…
My Daughter With Down Syndrome Helped Me Understand Racism
How did disability help me understand racism? I am white, married, educated, and affluent. Our daughter Penny was born into many of these same categories, and yet she was also…
In Her Own Words: Penny on Being a Bridesmaid
Penny and I got to be bridesmaids together last weekend in my sister’s wedding. I’m going to let Penny tell you about it in her own words, but first I…
The Ordinary Goodness of a Life with Down Syndrome, Even Now
Our daughter Penny is 14. She loves Taylor Swift and Fuller House and the Yankees. She betrays many signs of becoming a typical teenager: she groans when I wake her…
