I did not invite Down syndrome into my life; it crashed my party. In that devastating moment when my hopes and dreams for my newborn daughter were ripped away, I couldn’t imagine anything could be worse. Fast forward thirty years, and hindsight, as it often does, has replaced the pain and fear I felt in those early days after Stephanie was born with appreciation for an amazing journey that with all its challenges and flaws has made us a stronger family and me a better person.
Today is World Down Syndrome Day and I suspect the average person woke up this morning not knowing that; I certainly had no idea. Continue reading “World Down Syndrome Day: My Thirty Year Perspective”
We’ve all been there, you plan a family beach vacation for spring break and ten days out you start compulsively checking the weather app on your phone because you know how iffy March can be for Carolina beaches. You watch with frustration as the forecast deteriorates each day from a pleasant 75° and sunny to a dreary 42° and rainy the night before you leave; at which point you frantically repack the suitcases removing all the shorts and t-shirts to make room for sweaters and long-pants. 
Like most relationships gone bad, we had our good times. Abby – yes, my Fitbit has a name – and I go way back; she’s been my trusted ally in my quest to stay fit for years. It’s no secret I’ve struggled to maintain the consistency I’d like in my exercise routine, so it made sense that daily monitoring of my activity level was a good strategy to keep me on track. And the added accountability to my “Fitbit friends” was even more incentive to get moving and hit my daily step goal.