Andrew Solomon Far From The Tree

All my life growing up, I always had another child point their fingers at me and call me a dwarf. Or someone would ask me all the time, "What's wrong with you?". Exactly my concern. What is wrong with me? Why was I born this way? Why doesn't any medical professional, know why I have this Syndrome? In 1979 when I was born, I was diagnosed by Doctor Larsen, that I have what is called, Larsen Syndrome.…

Our book club selected this book for discussion. A few days ago one of our members circulated this video clip featuring Jen Bricker, a lovely and accomplished young gymnast who was born with no legs.
The video speaks for itself. I thought it was a wonderful illustration of the themes of the book.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByFUzo9KwryWWkRwUEw4bmZNaVk/view?pli=1&sle=true

Judi Parker-from Grand Junction Sentinel can read about her amazing life. We were friends for 50 years and I can still see her mischievous smile as we walked/rolled (Judi was in a wheelchair her entire life) through the outdoor art of the main Grand Junction. She was rejected by her parents when she was born due to her deformities, had taught for 30 years, lived and drove on her own although she probably…

This book helped me as the parent of a son with addiction. None of the chapters specifically address addiction, but the challenges we face are equivalent to those described. The book helped me get to a place of acceptance and appreciation for the joy and growth my son has brought to my life. It helped me put addiction into a proper context of parenting a challenging son who has defied all my expectations…

I met David in 1987--while he was wearing a dress. He'd come to a gathering at a friend's home, with three other transgendered folks, to talk about gender issues. At the time, he believed himself to be "just" a cross-dresser. And I was enthralled, struck by his honesty and vulnerability.

We were nearly 40 then, and he'd struggled with this proclivity for most of his life. Once, when he…

My gratitude to Andrew Solomon for this American love story is exceeded only by my pride in the generous and courageous families he profiled so tenderly. Their stories filled me with hope for the futures of all our children; all our sisters and brothers. Our dignity can never be guaranteed by legislation, nor do we have the luxury of waiting for the pendulum of historical change to swing toward a…

Self, family, and social acceptance. Children growing up in a family with a father with untreated bipolar disorder and a mother who had no clue, moving more than once a year, and never understanding relationships within the family or outside the family in society...

My son's 17th birthday is on 19th June - next week. He hanged himself two years ago on 31 March 2011. He was 14 years old. This is an extract from a book I have written about him, us and what happened that day. It's simply called BOY...What brought Boy to a place where death was preferable to life? What path did he walk from birth to his still-so-young fourteen years? Was it something I did or didn’t…

I am like many middle age women, I have more in common with my fellow sojourners than differences. Unfortunately, or fortunately as I see today, it was and continues to be my 'differences' that draw attention to me and not in the way of highlighting my gifts and talents.
I have always been a very tall female for my age; alas my age has caught up to my height. Along with the gift of height came…

My daughter spent the first month of her life suffering from brain seizures. They went away, but she has always been different. Now eight years old, she doesn't pay attention well, has trouble understanding other kids' social cues and is often unresponsive to me, her teachers, other kids, etc.

She's also creative, beautiful, energetic, and wise. When she's not tuning out the world and…

My baby boy died the same day he was born- January 12, 2013 as a result of undeveloped kidneys and underdeveloped lungs. Reading Andrew's book has brought me great comfort; we all have loss in this life. One line in particular has been a revelation, "it takes an act of will to grow from loss." Thankfully, through his insightful words, I have been able to realize my burden will not go away unless I…

Matthew Shepard was murdered in October of 1998. This was done because he was gay. He died alone, tied to a fence on the Wyoming range. He was a thoughtful, kind person and he left us at 21. I wrote a mini-poem for him and am absolutely convinced that Matthew's memory endures:

Matthew Shepard wide the sky, long and blue before my eye, endless you are, yes you stand me up, never really…

I was honored to meet Andrew, at a fundraiser that he and his partner John, hosted for my friend Spencer's film project related to Our Little Roses in Honduras. I felt so grateful to him and for his book and was blessed to be able to thank him face to face.

For about a year I was working on a memoir about my only sibling and our relationship. She has DS and we were born less than a year…

Cheryl was my first girlfriend. Actually we were both about 6 years old at the time. Her parents lived across the street just off the public square from my grandmother. Whenever my parents took me to visit my grandmother, I was urged to go across the street to see Cheryl. I would hesitatingly walk across the street and stand on the sidewalk by the rock wall around Cheryl's house and wait for someone…

My son, John, is 31 years old and has been diagnosed with multiple leaning disabilities, RSD, Epilepsy and Schizophrenia. I believe he has been living with many of these conditions since he was 5 months old. In spite of his challenges he is living independently, speaks at local mental health conferences and has received training as a Peer Specialist with the goal of working in a field where he has…

My husband and I are the proud parents of two sons and a daughter. Our two sons are 23 and 21, respectively. Our daughter is 17 going on 30 and has been our daughter for close to three years. We didn't adopt her—she is our beloved daughter who was born a natal son.

DJ came out to her brother, who informed my sisters, a lesbian and a child specialist, both left leaning, and the four…

I was put up for adoption and abused on a dairy farm. I was adopted to save a marriage. I was sent to the barn at age 5 as my mother despised me. I was worked to the point of exhaustion and beaten daily...this is literally 1/2 mile from where painter Grandma Moses lived. I'm now 47 with a wonderful family. I have battled addictions and embraced recovery. But I believe that child slavery is an ongoing…