Rare and Precious Moments when Intellectual Disabilities Fade
Annie just before her Junior Prom I hadn’t realized that the song had been on continuous repeat for the better part of an hour. I had been reliving a perfect moment in…
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Home/Family
Family
Some Things Don't Make Sense
Celeste and Denney It’s like how black and wet make purple. You don’t have to know why it happens. It’s a fact. It doesn't matter if you can explain it, or if…
I Did It Because Orphans Changed Me
Where to start… Oh. I resigned. I started the company that evolved into White Knight in 1988. I led that company every minute up until a week ago. I remember in the…
Darla Rescues Strays Like Me
Jack back to back with Darla Darla fixes up strays, like me. I was catching up on Facebook this morning when a saw a post from a long-time friend. Several weeks…
The Term "Real Mother" Confuses Us
Mothers’ Day has always been a tough one at our house. My wife, Amy, came from a home where she was abused by her father and her mother did nothing to stop…
Mental Illness Is Like Other Illness
Amy and I have three biological children and six adopted ones in our family. Parenting that many children should clue you in on the fact that there is some mental illness in the home, if…
A Rose By Any Other Name...
Simmons Family in 2007 Sarah or Yeakaterina? (Make sure you roll the “r” when you say that.) I need to back up. Recently, a mom-blogger provided some feedback for my new book,…
Broken Lives and Broken Tiles can be Things of Beauty
Broken Tiles in Our Master Bathroom Broken lives, to my wife, were reflected in the broken tiles of our new Master Bath. “It’s even more beautiful because they were broken!” At…
A Love for Books and Reading
I love to read. I crave the time I spend with authors who take me to other times and places. I savor the chance to learn why other people think what they…
Down Syndrome doesn't Mean Something's Wrong
Down syndrome doesn't mean something's wrong. Jack is now eighteen. We adopted him when he was just one-month old. As with a large percentage of other children born with Down syndrome,…
The Family and Me
I’m John Simmons and this is my family. On the back row we have Steve, Emily and Cory. Middle row: Holly, Amy, me, Sarah and Annie. The front row has Mike, Celeste,…