My mother always told me
My mother always told me it was better to be smart than to be beautiful. “If you are smart, eventually you will be able to afford to be beautiful.” A successful career could result in an abundance of money that could buy the right clothes, find the perfect haircut and...
Down Syndrome and Suffering, Is Life With Disability Worth Living?
A woman terminated her pregnancy because her baby was diagnosed with Down syndrome, she believed she was doing the merciful thing, preventing her son from suffering due to his diagnosis. She grieved for her baby and held a funeral for him. I believe she was terrified...
My Sister Has Down Syndrome, It Doesn’t Matter To Me
Editor’s note: Today I have the great pleasure and honor to share with you a guest post by my oldest daughter (at eight years old). It is Down syndrome awareness month, and she’s talking about what it’s like for her to have a sister with Down...
Yes, You Could Parent a Child With a Disability
I cannot count how many times I’ve heard people say, “I could never do it,” when referring to raising children with disabilities. It’s funny, because they often say this when referencing my life, as if my children were difficult, too much work...
Dear Parent of a Child With a Disability, You Are Enough
I know your worried thoughts, the ones that keep you up at night lulling you to sleep, the thoughts that sometimes accuse you as you parent your child with disabilities: Could I do more? Am I enough? Maybe if I could get my child to try the new therapy – the...
Ellen Stumbo writes and speaks about finding beauty in brokenness with gritty honesty and openness. She's passionate about sharing the real – sometimes beautiful and sometimes ugly – aspects of faith, parenting, special needs, and adoption. Ellen’s writing has appeared on Focus on the Family, LifeWay, MomSense, Not Alone, Mamapedia and the Huffington Post.