Thursday, December 29, 2011

A letter to Lloyd and Levitan

I LOVE the TV show Modern Family. Pretty shamelessly, too. The writing is fantastic, the acting is great, I love the high jinx. Most of all, I love that the Modern Family is portrayed as individual core units, but also as an extended family, multigenerational, and best of all, diverse.

The Modern Family of TV fame includes almost all major "diversity" populations. There is a homosexual couple, with an adopted Vietnamese daughter. There is a guy who probably fought in Vietnam with a Colombian trophy wife...and her roly-poly (read: obese) son. His step-sister,mwho is forty, doesn't seem like she could identify a cookie in a line-up, she's so thin. There's a goofy dad, an uber-achieving high school freshman, the list goes on.

But you know what they don't have (yet)? A person with any perceivable disability. Despite the fact that there are however many people in this country with disabilities, Modern Family has bypassed this segment of the population. It is an untapped resource as far as viewership and accompanying advertising dollars. (Also they have no South Asian/Indian/Middle Eastern character, also a surprisingly untapped resource. I thought they had no black character, but then I remembered they have the next door neighbor who was introduced earlier this season in a way that said, "I'll be recurring.")

Anyway...I bring this up because the gay couple is looking to adopt a brother for their little girl. This is Lloyd and Levitan's big chance. What better way to introduce someone with a disability to the Modern Family than by adopting a child with Down syndrome, or some other disability? What a phenomenal way to bring light to people with disabilities and all the great reasons to adopt one!

For that matter, maybe they adopt a kid with an autism spectrum disorder? Children in the US have a 1/133 likelihood of carrying that diagnosis. They could even get twice the bang for the buck and make him Egyptian or something.

Maybe I'm reaching. Maybe L&L don't think they could handle the character with enough tact in a comedy show. I have confidence in their writing...I'd love to see them try.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas and a big Shout-Out

First and foremost, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy (belated) Solstice, and Happy Sunday! I hope everyone enjoyed some great time with their family today! (biological, adopted, or homemade family)

I want to talk a minute about homemade family. This time last year, we were 23 days off the birth of our on, about 18 days off our T21 diagnosis, and on our fourth day adjusting to parenthood at home, outside the NICU. Needless to say, a proper celebration of Christmas was far from our minds. We managed to get a few ornaments thrown on the tree, and made it to church with Sam in Christmas pajamas. We had no family within 500 miles besides each other. Then our dear friends (about to become so much dearer) Michelle and Joe stepped in.

They brought us a fully prepared Christmas dinner of salad, lasagna (Michelle's grandparents were born in Italy so this was no mere baked pasta casserole) and peanut blossom cookies for dessert. They shared Christmas dinner with us and helped us all feel loved, and most of all, normal. At a time when nothing felt normal. I could never express how much I appreciate that act of kindness, at the same time so simple and so extreme.

I have decided that we will honor Michelle and Joe by having lasagna for Christmas dinner every year. And if we ever have the opportunity to return the favor, we certainly will.

Friday, December 2, 2011

525,600 minutes

525,600 minutes
525,000 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure a year?

In daylights? In sunsets?
In midnights? In cups of coffee?
In inches? In miles?
In laughter, in strife?

525,600 minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?

Measure in Love...Seasons of Love.

525,600 minutes
525,000 journeys to plan
525,600 minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?
In truths that she learned, or in times that he cried?

It's time now to sing out though the story never ends
Let's celebrate, remember a year in the life...

Remember the Love...Seasons of Love.


525,600 minutes ago, Samuel Alexander entered the world. What a Season of Love it has been.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Sam!