Christmas and the Hospitality of Need
REIMAGINING THE GOOD LIFE PODCAST S9 E6 — In a season of parties and entertaining, it’s good to remember that hospitality means something very different—welcoming the stranger and caring for…
The Joy I Didn’t Expect on a Saturday Morning
It is hard to convey the joy I felt while standing among six young adults with disabilities on a Saturday morning. In this case, I got to hang out with…
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A Friendship “Pile-Up of Goodness” in Our House
Anyone who has read this newsletter or followed me on social media knows that I have been beating a drum of taking one small step1 at a time toward a good future.2 There are days when…
Why I’ve Been Silent This Down Syndrome Awareness Month
It’s the middle of October, Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and I have done nothing to acknowledge this fact. We didn’t walk in a Buddy Walk. We haven’t posted stories about…
The Hospitality of Need: Disability and Interdependence
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST Many of us don't want to ask for help, but what if being needful isn’t weakness but a doorway to connection, friendship, and belonging? Kevan…
True Friendship Isn’t Built on Pity
Years ago, one of our kids came home from preschool and said, “She cries a lot and doesn’t share her toys.” Our child were talking about a classmate who had…
Sparkle Show
Penny decided to participate in our new church’s Sparkle Show with a friend by singing along to Taylor Swift’s Fearless. It’s no small thing that she wanted to be there,…
Intergenerational and Interability Friendships
I feel like I should be too old to have camp friends, but I guess that’s one more gift of getting involved in Hope Heals. Our friend and Hope Heals…
Disrupting the Status Quo
My friend Patricia and I spent two nights in NYC this past weekend. We walked a gazillion steps, ate a gazillion calories, spoke even more words, and gave thanks for…
Penny in Her Own Words: Camp PALS 2024
Penny, can you explain Camp PALS to people who don’t know anything about it? Who is it for? Yes. Camp PALS is for young adults with Down Syndrome where they…
