There was a time in life I would’ve given anything to be “normal” (as far as I’d seen from those around me). However, having unexpectedly found myself in the rather unique position of becoming a father—with disabilities (Charcot-Marie-Tooth, Tourettes syndrome)—to a son who also has a disability (Down syndrome) has taught me that I almost wished away the greatest part of me.
The things that I used to curse at and ask “why me, why not my enemies?”—those things have proven invaluable in my fatherhood, because not only can I be outraged at the discrimination on my son’s behalf, but I can also celebrate the achievements that are so obvious to others that they don’t think about them, as well as teach him about the joy that comes from overcoming the most difficult challenges.
At the end of the day, what we do with what we have—in all its limited, yet boundless capacity—determines how we love, how we find empathy, why we stand up for those in need, as well as what legacy we leave behind to make the world even just a little more accepting, more understanding, and more hopeful than when we arrived.
Check out a few things I’ve learned as a disabled father to a disabled son:
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