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 […]

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, […]

“I’m sorry, you can’t do that.”- Following your dreams despite what people say

[Full disclosure: I have been compensated for writing this post.] Has someone ever told you that you can’t do something that you want to do? If you’re a parent of someone with special needs you may have heard it in a different way. A school official may have said, “That’s not the way we do […]

Stuck In The Middle — Is There A “Disabled Voice” ?

I’ve been following the discussion about The Mighty and trying to form my own opinion. I’ve listened to the people using the hashtag #CrippingTheMighty and thought there were some valid complaints being expressed – again. Most of them I’ve heard before – they are longstanding issues. Then, as I review my own Facebook and Twitter […]

Bittersweet Birthday

How many of your birthdays do you remember in great detail? For me, it’s pretty much the biggies, 16 and 21, because of the privileges that came with them. Yet, as parents, we try to create THE perfect day every year for our kids. Today, my son Josh, celebrates his 28th birthday. He has expectations […]

On Being an Ally: Passing, Participating, and Pondering My Place

For years, I may have been complicit in the act of “passing.” My son’s skin is a beautiful tan in the summer, but for the most part, it could be described as “olive.” His father has been out of the picture for most of his life, and my own flesh is pasty at best. […]

It’s a “Pride” Issue – Erica Garner

Last night, Erica Garner told Don Lemon on CNN that she didn’t really think the issue is race. To her, it looked like the NYPD officer who killed her father wanted to prove he could take down a “big guy.” To me, it boils down to one fundamental conflict in our society. […]

Dreams, big, small, & gargantuan

Every now and then, I get the urge (and the time) to dream. Sometimes it’s a small dream, like, “wouldn’t it be nice to have a huge chocolate sundae?” Sometimes it’s a little bigger and involves finding just the right job or place to live. Every now and then I allow myself the luxury […]

Had enough ugliness – I need a “hate free” zone – From the Archives

This was originally posted on 3/28/13 I had to delete one of my Facebook “friends” yesterday. It was an acquaintance from years ago, and I’m sure they won’t even realize I did it. The problem was that this person asked what all the ‘red’ was about. Once they found out, they proceeded to spew hateful […]