This week I wanted to tell you about A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Children with Special Needs edited by Colleen Sell. This book is a lot like the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, with many stories by different people. I really liked that most of the stories focused on simple accomplishments. It's quite well-written for this type of anthology, and many of the contributors are professional writers. Here are some of the parts I liked best:

"I once heard someone say that having a child born with special needs is like stepping off a plan expecting to arrive in Cancun, Mexico, but discovering you've landed in Beijing, China, instead. You don't understand the language or culture, and you don't have the correct attire for the place. It's so different from what you expected, you feel completely disoriented and depressed. But eventually, as you learn the language and understand the culture, you embrace that foreign land as your own." --Ellen Tomaszewski

"This had to be the best day of my life -- a real diagnosis. What a relief!" -- Vivian Joy Phillips

"A famous quote, by Elizabeth Stone, says that having a child is like having your heart walking outside of your body. I think that's absolutely true. But for me, having a child is also like having a walking, talking ulcer." -- Leesa Gehman

Overall, this book is filled with inspiring stories about children with many different types of special needs, and it doesn't feel sugar-coated or too negative. I has a very real, and honest feel to it. Parents share some of the hardest moments, and some of the most rewarding moments. Many of the stories are about that moment when they finally realize that things are going to be okay...different than expected, but okay.