Michele Gyselinck

 Why don't you get a service dog for your child with the disability?  There are service dogs for practically every disability now, and it would free you to give more time to your other kids.

  That's nice, but what about people with disabilities who have professional training? Although I've pretty much given up looking for a job, let alone a career, I have two B.A.s and the second one was in English Studies with a Major in Professional Writing in English.  Surely, not all the people with disabilities you work with have Down's Syndrome or are intellectually deficient?

 In my family, mother and siblings and my sister's family, traditions have changed over time.  When we were kids, my maternal grandparents would come over on Christmas Eve, and after supper my grandmother would give us our baths while my parents hastily got the presents under the tree and pretended that Santa had dropped them off and was on his way to the next place on his list.  Back then, I was not a Christian, and neither of my siblings became believers then or since.

Later on, we did things differently.  But what changed our traditions drastically was my sister living with her partner 20-odd years ago.  From then on she went to celebrate Christmas with her in-laws on Christmas Eve, and with us on Christmas Day.  Fortunately, we all live in the same city, so it doesn't pose major logistical problems to see both sides of the family on following days.  We often also celebrate New Year's Eve together with my sister's in-laws.  My sister's relationship with her partner is stable, and although they are not officially married they consider themselves to be.  

My mom attends mass at her church on Christmas Day, and I attend the Christmas Day service at the Montreal CRC.  Then the two of us have lunch together at my mom's place, and in the afternoon we usually prepare whatever food we have committed ourselves to bring to my sister's place get all the stuff together and take it to her house for supper.  Since my mom and I are the only ones who are practicing Christians, the events from then on are non-religious.

 Since then the cost of a monthly pass for public transit has increased to $88,50.  And my mom is 94.

@Ken Libolt As I was re-reading this blog I also read the comments, and realized I didn't respond to your last one.  I appreciate the support.  Thank you.  WAnting to help others is why I agreed to become a Regional Advocate initially.  I doN't serve in that capacity anymore, but I haven't really found a way to replace it either.  The Director of Disability Concerns for the CRCNA had talked about my becoming a Volunteer Editor, but she never asked me to edit anything.  Not that it would contribute anything to my income since it's volunteer work anyway.

Since then my mom passed away, and we still have to get our hands on the inheritance, but there was a lot of leg work involved in settling the estate, but that is finally over now.  Our problem is that although my mom stipulated in her will that there be four people to sign paperwork, she had also stipulated that AT LEAST three of the four be present to sign documents, but the financial institution is always insisting on all four being present, which makes things very complicated logistically.

I can relate to their embarrassment.  When I read an article in which the son of Liberty University's founder said that Trump was their dream president, I decided I would not refer to myself as an evangelical Christian anymore because people like him were giving the word a bad name.  I am not the only one to feel this way either.

Thanks Heather.  And may God bless your work with Friendship Ministries.  Hope to see you again.