AWESOME! People with Down syndrome and the WWE

If people with Down syndrome ruled the world – “Wrestling would be very Big.” – Dennis McGuire, PhD Adult Down Syndrome Center of Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Illinois My son, Joshua, would absolutely agree.

Food for thought – What are we teaching out kids about lying?

Pride in Diversity – Our Community Should Change

There are different factions within the Down syndrome community. We try not to admit it; but for all our talk about inclusion we can be downright vicious in segregating ourselves from “the others” within what should be a large, powerful community for support and change.

Being Thankful for Hard Times

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I’ve been thinking about the past year(s) and marveling at how far my family has come. Our story is not about overcoming disability. It’s about going the distance in the face of real-life, everyday hardships and being thankful for what we have. It’s about counting our blessings and […]

Is there a “Grand Plan”? God Friended Me

My contemporaries may remember the song “One of Us” written by Eric Bazilian and released by Joan Osborne in 1995. In it, she asks listeners to consider “What if God was one of us.” The lyrics go further and confront non-believers: “If God had a face what would it look like? And would you want […]

Life is Full of Adventure and New Film Beyond The Sun

Each of us makes choices, sometimes daily, about how we categorize life’s twists and turns. We can get overwhelmed by disappointments or get inspired by the possibilities that adversity affords us. If I had one piece of advice to give parents when they get a Down syndrome diagnosis, it would be to view this news […]

Whose Goals?

Sometime during the ‘90’s, while my son was in grade school, someone decided that he could not, and would not learn to read. No one ever said it explicitly, but with the benefit of hindsight, I know it to be true. I came to this conclusion about a decade later while […]

When Tragedy Strikes Close to Home: How We React Speaks Volumes

We are bombarded daily by horrific stories of human suffering caused by everything from natural disasters to unspeakable violence. Since the proliferation of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, we can hardly escape the daily tragedies. How we choose to react to this abundance of depressing information, especially what we put down in words, […]

How Did Dickens Come Up With Scrooge?

As someone who dabbles in storytelling, I’ve often wondered how my favorite authors come up with characters that captivate audiences. For example, my all-time favorite author, Marcus Sikora, tells a Halloween story with characters I’d love to meet. My favorite is Skeleton Pumpkin Head – I like his voice. 🙂 […]

House Passage of the AHCA: Did Members of the Down Syndrome Task Force Fail Us?

After Thursday’s vote in the House I wondered how many of our so-called friends, those who claim to be advocates in our corner, voted in favor of the AHCA.