Today is National Siblings Day

{visual description: Illustration of family. The parents are standing in the back. The mother is holding an infant next to the father. In front of the father stands a young girl and in front of her is her brother who is in a wheelchair.}


My younger nephew , a fifth grader, has a great sense of humor that helps him deal with his cerebral palsy. He has his parents, friends and loving grandparents, aunts and uncles.

But he also has his older brother who is 16. When he received his first computer as a gift on Easter so that he can do his homework on it, his brother set it up for him so that he can play games easily and access the features. This kind of support and help happens all of the time.

Sometimes, because of their age difference, it's a pat on the shoulder from big brother and at other times it's a stern reminder to do homework or go to PT and do his exercises. But mostly they are just brothers who talk about games they've played, places they've gone or would like to and other "stuff".

Today is National Siblings Day . I've included a link to a site called the Sibling Support Project, a national effort dedicated to the life-long concerns of brothers and sisters of people who have special health, developmental, or mental health concerns.

It's a good time to honor all the siblings today - including those who have brothers and sisters with disabilties who are still growing up and those who are now adults. If you know a brother or sister of a kid with a disability, give them a hug.