We all have people we rely on. Sometimes we have people who unexpectedly join our village. Recently our family celebrated someone we did not expect in our lives, someone who loves unconditionally and brings light and joy wherever she goes. Our niece Lourdes did not know anything about supporting a person with disabilities, yet without researching or asking, she intuitively knew how to engage with her. Sometimes a simple touch is all it takes.

We count on family in a lot of ways. Families with persons with disabilities count on them for so much more. They count on them for extended respite, they count on them to help in an emergency, and they count on them to be more than just family, to be a village. Thank you, Lourdes, for being a part of our extended family. Happy 25th birthday!