MEG ZUCKER Don’t Hide It, Flaunt It

I am a wife, mother to three children, lawyer, and woman who happened to be born with ectrodactyly, a genetic condition where I only have one finger on each hand and one toe on each foot. Despite my quite different appearance, I feel and experience life as able-bodied as everyone else. Having children with differences has enhanced my life even further. Both of my boys have ectrodactyly, and my husband and I adopted our daughter. Now, in my early forties, I am strong, secure, and successful. Yet to get here, I’ve faced a lifetime of awkward and ignorant comments, stares, and assumptions from others about me and my children. My life’s blessing is the following: I have a distinctive insight into how each and every one of us (and our children) have traits that make us unique and different. Some, like me, must wear their differences on their sleeves, while others can try to bury them. But we can’t escape them or control how others view us. From my life experience, however, I can of