Julia’s Summer OT
Julia has never really had a “summer off“. We are always working on something; and this summer it’s occupational therapy to help her do things that typical kids take for granted.
What follows is a small vignette of what she’s been working on with her OT, Miss Courtney…
World Down Syndrome Day & What Julia Does for Me
As a dad, I have spent the last 13+ years teaching my kid as best I can. But what I found is that she has a heck of a lot more to teach me. Here are the latest ways she’s been taking me to school…
Christmas Greetings
In a hard emotional season, I was reminded of a heavenly paradox: the journey from “fitting in” to experiencing real belonging in my life is in the direction of my teenage daughter with a condition that unenlightened society relegates to irrelevance.
Bring Jesus Your Pain…
For years, I’ve thought deeply about what it means to enter seasons of healing from the past and be a better human. I’ve had to put my money where my mouth is more than once in that direction and have developed some convictions around it.
The work is not finished.
I’ve heard the words of friendly advice, “Take it to Jesus” more than once; but I’ve often struggled with what that really means.
This is an expanded version of a blog post I recently did for my church to take a stab at answering that question.
Expressions on a Settee
We were at the wedding of one of Julia‘s very best friends. Julia was looking pretty snazzy and feeling the exuberance of the moment and it reminded me again why I always bring my camera with me.
They Gave Her a Chance…
With the excitement and anticipation of seventh grade starting tomorrow, I couldn’t let the weekend go by without stopping and looking back with gratitude on a season of Julia’s life fondly coming to a close. Thank you Miss Loretta!
Letting Her Worship Her Way…
With all of her cognitive delays, I have often wondered if Julia truly understands that there is a God who created her and loves her. I got a relieving bit of clarity as I watched her connect at tonight’s Good Friday service.
“Is it worth it?” Right Question. Wrong Day.
It’s a great day to celebrate our friends with Down syndrome! Communities gather, selfies are taken – and hopefully that puts some gas in the tank for the seasons when it’s tougher…
Christmas Greetings
A reflection on the hope of Christmas revealed itself in the last seconds of a middle school girls’ basketball game, and some in our community (myself included) may never be the same.
The Day I Doubted Would Come…
Julia’s graduation from fifth grade is the fulfillment of a lot of hard work and dedication by a lot of people. But I had wondered early on if it would ever happen. Those fears – and the fears of the future – were answered in a peculiar way.