There is something about Friday night that makes it a beautiful night. In addition, it is the only day of the week that I get to visit my neighbors across the courtyard that separates the two rows of houses in our development. And every week, without fail, I get to witness the special sight of Moishey Sander coming home from shul. He stops at the door, puts his hand gently on the mezuzah and gives it a loving kiss. This thirty-second weekly encounter strikes a chord deep inside of me every week anew. When I observe his tenderness to that which is real, it gets me to ponder what actually matters.

The Lucky Moms text chat was created by and for mothers of children with Down syndrome, as a means to connect.  It has been providing support, resources, information, inspiration and of course a touch of humor to each member’s day.  The Lucky Moms group is helping many of us survive these tumultuous times.  Following are excerpts of conversations from this time period.

Some of you may have heard about my twin daughters, Nechama and Batya Kuessous, both born with Down syndrome. They were actually featured in Issue #9 of Down Syndrome Amongst Us, many years ago. They are currently 24 years old.

When the coronavirus hit, I was a little worried about how it would affect them. They are generally very social and thrive on friendship and connection to other people. Every day they travel to Lakewood to The Special Children’s Center where they attend a job training program. They normally arrive home at 6:15 pm. They eat supper and then their phone is usually ringing off the hook with acquaintances offering to pick them up for slurpies, a shiur or even a short drive around town.

It is hard to believe that we are writing about our darling special brother, Yechiel Yosef a”h or YY, as he was so fondly known. He is still so vibrant and alive in my mind, smiling broadly with a twinkle in his eyes.

I am putting pen to paper in the hope that people will be inspired by what YY managed to achieve in his short lifetime and learn from it.

YY was born Shavuous 1999, just as women everywhere were lighting candles to accept the Torah and reciting the special tefilla of V’zakeini.