Overview

Have you experienced a life-changing event that began on the closet floor? Paul Taylor did. This singular event occurred late in the afternoon on Friday, March 6, 1987. The tranquility of the morning's beauty shattered when Paul answered the phone. Hearing his wife's anguished words, ""Mark has Down syndrome."" he collapsed to the closet floor. So began Paul's odyssey from despair to eventual gratitude for the gift Mark is. His wife's words, the apparent harbinger of permanent darkness, would instead become the lighted beacon, beaming brightly, dispelling the blackness, and opening his eyes to one of his life's choicest blessings. What will you find in Mark and Me? Paul writes as a father outlining his road of discovery from Mark's birth to today. Additionally, the book includes different but complementary voices from others who know Mark, which affirm the premise that those who are disabled influence people around them. Do not expect a guide on How to Raise a Child with Disabilities. Instead, it celebrates an individual life, one whose disabilities are unique gifts to bless the lives around him. A more accurate title might read, How to Train the Father of a Child with Disabilities. The book will engage the reader with more than 80 stories, vignettes, and lessons, which are funny, poignant, surprising, scary, profound, and spiritual. Read the Snow Cave chapter where Paul and Mark were buried in a collapsed high mountain snowbank, and when Paul, believing they would undoubtedly die, was overcome by multiple waves of Divine love that words are inadequate to express. Read how: Mark's purchase of a Santa Claus suit developed into a much larger story touching not only those directly involved but others who followed on Facebook.: Mark's definition of ""favorite,"" which means everyone, has taught Paul to judge less by the outer trappings and see people as Mark does without judgment. Mark's definition of ""hurry,"" which is limited to one speed only, teaches Paul to slow down, observe, and enjoy people, situations, and circumstances that he would usually not notice. Mark demonstrates qualities we can incorporate into our daily interactions more fully. How different would life be if we all adopted more of the qualities manifested by Mark and his peers? Beyond these beautiful qualities, there is an even greater one. Mark demonstrates the virtues we must refine to enjoy the next life. Mark's barber summarized this by saying, ""Mark is where God is trying to bring the rest of us."" 

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Reviews

What a beautiful way to start my day...I thought, Oh, I'll just read this section and that lead to another and another and the whole book. Good thing it is a chilly winter Saturday! What a beautiful outlook on life! Nicole S - Boise, Idaho I really loved reading it and learned so much. I cried and I laughed and it was really uplifting and inspiring. C. Brown - Salt Lake City, UT I absolutely loved reading this. Thank you so much for putting your thoughts to words. My husband is in the process of reading it and we've had a holier light shed on our relationship with our son because of it. Cindy P - Dallas, TX I read every word. It was like one of those books you love from start to finish and cannot put down and hate to see end.... My reading found me smiling, spiritually strengthened, wanting to be better and having my eyes opened to myself and the world around me. Barb P. - Plano, TX The snow cave experience went beyond just bonding time with your son. You found meaning that transcended mere survival and expressed it so eloquently. After reading it I had a better understanding of the why in your efforts to teach the world about Mark. Rich E - Boise, ID

Author Information

Paul was born in the Midwest. After his father completed his medical training, the family eventually settled in the Seattle area. He comes from a large family, and life as a young boy was an exciting one with siblings and friends.He earned a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Washington in Seattle, which he put on hold for two years while serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany.Shortly after returning to Seattle from Germany, he met a beautiful young woman driving a bright yellow VW bug. She agreed to spend life with him. He and Susan are blessed with six children and thirteen grandchildren, and another on the way.Their lives have taken some twists and turns. Along the way, he served seven years in the US Army, lastly as an officer in Military Intelligence. Following the Army, he earned an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, the internationally recognized business school in Phoenix, Arizona.He spent most of his business career engaged in commercial real estate investments working for various firms such as private equity, a pension fund, and an international bank. He traveled too frequently during his career assisting clients with a heavy domestic and international schedule, often traveling over 100 nights a year.He has written extensively to family and close friends, discussing the challenges we encounter through those twists and turns along the path. A core principle in his writing is the role faith plays in dealing with challenges and that this life is a preparatory state for an eternal one. Different parties have guided him through periods of discouragement. He writes to assist others through similar trials. Several friends and associates have encouraged him to publish to a larger audience. Mark and Me is his first effort. Additional offerings are coming soon.

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