A View of the Lake

Tracing the Footprints of God

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Ben

Hedgerows and Big Yellow Trucks

December 12, 2022January 9, 2023 / Andrea / 18 Comments

A hard rain was falling that afternoon, and I was eager to get home. After a long day of doctor appointments in the city for my son Ben, I loaded up the car with groceries and headed up the twisting road to our home in the mountains. Only a few miles up, however, a large … Continue reading Hedgerows and Big Yellow Trucks

Ribbon Collecting

November 14, 2022November 14, 2022 / Andrea / 4 Comments

My son Ben loves competing for Special Olympics, and has a giant collection of medals and ribbons from various meets and tournaments. He participates in eight different sports, and every competition finds him swaggering home with something shiny. The medals and ribbons hang proudly from his bulletin board, the overflow crumpled in his desk drawers. … Continue reading Ribbon Collecting

Under the Tomatoes

May 30, 2022July 19, 2022 / Andrea / 6 Comments

My breath came hard as panic pressed on my chest. I stood in the produce section of the grocery store, scanning the aisles, desperate for a glimpse of my towheaded boy. Every parent has been in a similar situation, but most aren’t searching for a nonverbal child who can’t understand when the game has gone … Continue reading Under the Tomatoes

If Ben Had Been There

April 18, 2022April 17, 2022 / Andrea / 13 Comments

My son Ben has cognitive disabilities and very little language. But sometimes he intuitively understands what our “normal” intelligence blinds us to. Our Easter celebration last weekend got me thinking: If Ben had been at the tomb that first Easter morning, things might have gone down a little differently…. Early on the first day of … Continue reading If Ben Had Been There

To Ben on World Down Syndrome Day

March 21, 2022March 29, 2022 / Andrea / 12 Comments

You came as a surprise; your life tenuous, your little body limp in my arms. We brought you home, numb and determined, the future unimagined. Your extended family welcomed you with a tenderness tempered by grief. Your church family, stunned, embraced you. You were changing us, even then. Making your mark on our world just … Continue reading To Ben on World Down Syndrome Day

Ben and the Carnival Fun House

October 5, 2021October 4, 2021 / Andrea / 3 Comments

My son Ben loves the county fair. We always start in the animal barns, where he clucks and moos his way down the aisles, the animals patiently letting him pat and talk to them. Then comes the midway, where he has uncanny luck at the games, always coming away with a prize. The rides, however, … Continue reading Ben and the Carnival Fun House

How Heaven Changes Us

August 31, 2021August 30, 2021 / Andrea / 10 Comments

I’ve often pondered what Ben will be like in heaven. I used to think that he would still have Down Syndrome, since it comes knit into his every chromosome. But the longer we deal with not just the delights but also the deficits and struggles that Down Syndrome brings, the more I am convinced that … Continue reading How Heaven Changes Us

Invisible Drums and Air Guitar

August 17, 2021 / Andrea / 8 Comments

I wrote a devotion that was published this morning at Christian Devotions. I hope you’ll go there and check it out! http://christiandevotions.us

Hug Status

June 22, 2021June 22, 2021 / Andrea / 1 Comment

My son Ben strides through our church like he owns it, seeking out his favorite people to hug. As we have finally emerged from our year-long quarantine, no one is happier than he to have human contact again. Some people with Down Syndrome dish out hugs like candy at a parade. But not Ben. No, … Continue reading Hug Status

Still Waiting

February 16, 2021January 13, 2023 / Andrea / 5 Comments

"Ooh! Weet!" Ben exclaimed when he saw the bouquet our church dropped off the other day. Even though services and activities have resumed, some of us are still quarantined due to health risks. Ben is one of those and, by extension, me - although he can't comprehend why. Ben has been at home, almost totally … Continue reading Still Waiting

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