Redefining Normal

I have been taken lately by the new television show Parenthood. Found on NBC and inspired by the film of the same name, Parenthood introduces audiences to the complex world of the very large, very colorful, and very imperfect Braverman family. I'm not 100% sure why the show has grown on me so quickly (I'm not underestimating the appeal of its Berkeley setting to this California-born girl), but I do know which storyline has caught my attention more than any other. One of the characters, a young boy named Max, is diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, and his entire family begins to struggle with what this diagnosis will mean for him, for them, and for the notion of what "normal" means.

I bring this up not to laud NBC for addressing this topic through what will might become a hit show, but to highlight one of the blogs I follow (you can see the list of my blogroll down on the lower right side of the page). Chutz Mizeh, or "otherwise" in English, is the blog of a college friend who serves as a rabbi in North Carolina. His most recent blog post, entitled "Redefining Success," can be found here, and addresses his own family's struggle with an Asperger's diagnosis, especially within a Jewish context. I highly suggest checking out his blog, for this post and other very insightful offerings.