Bless your parents for raising such a loving and open hearted daughter with their example of how to be in the world. I appreciate that you include your teenage awkwardness around the kids with disabilities, no one is perfect, and it takes most able bodied people a decent amount of discomfort to get used to acting normal around people who are differently abled. Like you I had maybe more personal experience than some with this, I have a close friend since my teenage years with m.d. and in college I worked driving special transportation vans for students and faculty with disabilities, where I learned I knew a lot less than I thought I did. It saddens me when people don't make any effort to understand or even have common courtesy with people living with disability, I know most of the time they don't know any better but it really is they who are missing out on life being so close minded and afraid. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful experiences Deb.