Neglected

I've neglected this blog for several months due to the severe ulcerative colitis one of my children has been suffering from. She was hospitalized a couple of times for extended periods and hooked up to IV drugs and nutrition. She is still at home receiving treatments but is eating by mouth, thank G-d.

All of that, coupled with caring for my disabled daughter, meant the blog didn't even make it to the bottom of my to-do list. But today offered a slight breather so here are three inspirational stories about people with disabilities. I've been eager to share them for quite some time and hope you enjoy them too

• Shalom and Ronit head to the huppa
• Look at yourself after watching this
• Kim Peek, Inspiration for ‘Rain Man,’ Dies at 58

I have also been moved - but negatively - by a spate of local child abuse cases. My tolerance level for abusive parents is frightfully low; I want to just shake them and ask: fully functioning, able-bodied, healthy children weren't good enough for you?!

After the parents, the most infuriating players in these stomach-turning stories are the judges. They have been routinely meting out pathetically light sentences in my country e.g. no prison time for nearly starving your child to death - and being videoed red-handed by the hospital staff. And six months for cruelly beating all your children. Six months, by the way, is the punishment for animal abuse in California.