In her early thirties Camilla Downs landed in a different place than she had planned; a place more different than she could ever have imagined. Five years into her marriage with a happy three-year-old daughter, a phone call with a diagnosis from the pediatrician changed everything. This A to Z inspiring memoir recounts Downs' journey to acceptance of herself, her daughter's genetic abnormality of 18p- and becoming a single mom. Through Downs' realization's we learn that accepting ourselves and our situations is the key to being able to accept others, tap into our vein of courage and live in the present moment. Downs details her journey with the methods and thought process that led her to achieve true acceptance and genuine happiness. You'll learn ways to redefine your thought processes and belief system by applying the practical, insightful "Tips for the Journey" at the end of each chapter. Whether you need to decrease stress and worries, or increase self-confidence, this powerful book will help you make changes for the better and realize you are not alone. Begin your new journey today! "As a blind person myself, I understand the challenge and blessing of doing things differently. In this book, Camilla shares her journey with Lillian which will help us all do more, give more, and be more." -Jim Stovall, Emmy-award Winner, Best-selling author, The Ultimate Gift "My granddaughter Mable and my niece Elizabeth are both different enough to have special needs so I speak from personal experience about Camilla Downs' enlightening book 'D iz for Different: One Woman's Journey to Acceptance'. I believe this book will help those who find themselves asking how and why questions about their "differently-abled" loved one. This quick and thoughtful read gives answers to hard questions and provides some easily used tools to help people move more quickly to a place of peace and acceptance." -Julie Ziglar Norman, Proud Grandmother and Aunt, Founder of Ziglar Women, Inspirational Speaker, Author of Growing Up Ziglar: A Daughter's Broken Journey from Heartache to Hope

Originally published: New York: Doubleday, 1979.