You and I were born. We were part of a plan. Perhaps it was just a plan to make love that went awry. Perhaps, it was intentional thinking, an intentional decision, to continue the generations. Some generations have a call to have as many children as possible, others claim a responsibility to limit ourselves to one or two. In the beginning for all of us, there was a perception of a plan, even if the plan was only about having a moment of passion. Let’s assume the plan was purposeful; the plan was, for whatever its reason, a hope for something of meaning and of a life well-lived.

I don’t know of any parent-to-be who thinks the plan is to have a child who will be full of problems and challenges. Mostly, parents wish for two arms, two legs, all internal organs where they are supposed to be an…