I love reading. I've always loved reading. My mom says I taught myself to read, as if language fell out of the sky and into my head in the form of the English alphabet. I devoured books as a kid, priding myself on reading chapter books from beginning to end more than once, challenging myself to read ...

We were on vacation last week, so I missed my weekly tweeting post, but I want to recommend the following articles:

"We made sure our son was not born only to suffer" ow.ly/mlewd "My #Abortion, at 23 Weeks" @nytimes #Pregnancy#PrenatalTesting

A woman's refusal to dye her gray hair is a shimmeringly visible ...

A few weeks ago, I accompanied Penny's class on a field trip to the zoo. We piled onto the school bus with its high-backed seats and bumpy ride and we cracked the windows to let some cool air flow in. I was responsible for Penny and two other little girls as we strolled the grounds, looking for animals, ...

Let me just share our day today as an example of life for a family with a child with Down syndrome. I awoke to all three kids at 7:30 (we're on vacation). Penny stood at the side of the bed, glasses askew, hair poking up, lips puckered for a kiss. She spent the following hour coloring while I made gazpacho. ...

For your reading pleasure this weekend:

 "What Happens to #Women Who Are Denied #Abortions?" http://ow.ly/m19Xi @nytimes #TurnAways

"My #LifeIsForeverChanged because of one night, one decision and one monumental lack of understanding." http://ow.ly/m41NO@emmasaylor

"My brother did not deserve to die over ...

Today's post includes my final installment of answers to George Estreich's questions. These center around family and education. And I'll mention here that the drawing to win a free copy of George's memoir, The Shape of the Eye, will happen on Friday, so comment on my interview with him last week to ...

A continuation of my conversation with George Estreich:

George Estreich: In both your book and on your blog, I've been struck by your wish to take on difficult subjects relating to Down syndrome, prenatal diagnosis and abortion among them. A few questions:

–Can you talk about your motivation ...

I have a new essay on the Washington Post's "On Faith" blog. It begins:

Every pregnant woman has decisions to make about prenatal genetic testing, and it's not as simple as sticking out your arm for a blood draw.

According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ...

As I wrote earlier this week, George Estreich's The Shape of the Eye is a lovely memoir of a father who is telling and retelling the story of his family after his second daughter Laura has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Yes, this book will be of interest to parents of children with special needs, ...

Nearly two years ago, I wrote a glowing review/reflection on a book that was new in hardcover by a writer named George Estreich. It's the story of a little girl with Down syndrome growing up with her stay-at-home dad, her mom, and her older sister. It's also a story about families and stories and the ...

What have been the most difficult moments or conversations for you as a parent of a child with a disability?

How do you see the Church responding to people with disabilities and how can the Church improve?

On your blog, you've welcomed a variety of voices to contribute. Which topics have generated ...

We were perusing our local nature center last weekend, and my seven-year-old daughter Penny abruptly stopped walking. Ahead of us were twin girls, probably three or four years old. One used a walker to support herself. Penny didn't say anything, but her eyes grew wide as they passed by. Today in school ...

**Update: Jeannie is the winner of a free copy of Theresa's book. Congratulations!

Yesterday I posted the first part of an interview with Theresa Shea, author of The Unfinished Child. Here's part two:

As the parent of typically-developing children, what prompted you to write the book? Do you see any parallels ...

Over the past month, I have had the privilege of corresponding with Theresa Shea, author of The Unfinished Child, a novel about two families whose lives are affected by Down syndrome. In one narrative, set in the mid 1940s, Margaret gives birth to Carolyn, and her doctor convinces her to send Carolyn ...

I took two of my children to the mall a few weeks back. After stocking up on sneakers and sandals, we stood in line to ride the carousel. I paid $2 each for their tickets, then the lady at the cash register peered over the counter at my daughter Penny. "Is she a special need?" she asked me.

I stammered ...

Penny and I were sitting outside in the shade. She had cuddled as close as she could, with her body pressed against my side and her head resting on my chest. Marilee and William were on the jungle gym, arguing over who gets to go up the slide next. I was scrolling through email on my phone and came ...

I sometimes feel a strange sense of guilt, or at least dis-ease, about Penny. It's not what you might think. I'm about as comfortable as I can imagine being with a child who has Down syndrome, and I think my kids are too. (The other day, I  was explaining that some athletes from the Special Olympics ...

I have a new article in InTouch Magazine (not the one that's like People Magazine, the Christian one). Some of the content will be familiar to those of you who read this blog regularly, but I still thought you'd appreciate this reflection on what Penny has taught me about prayer over the course of her ...

I have Alzheimer's disease. I'm sixty-eight, have had symptoms for a little over two years, and was diagnosed last September. These last eight months have been almost the happiest in my life.

Before my diagnosis, when I considered how I might die, Alzheimer's was the only one that terrified me. I wasn't ...

It hits me like a sucker punch every time. This week the blow came on page 30 of the Atlantic, where a sidebar with numbers in large bold font told a story:

Percentage of American adults who describe themselves as pro-life: 50Percentage of American adults who think second-trimester abortion should be ...