This booklet highlights some of the insights that five mothers of children with developmental disabilities have gained after a generation of working together to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities in Wisconsin. It discusses civic activism, the critical importance of organized parent support, difficulties in collaborating with professionals, and social changes that affect the conditions for volunteer action. Lessons learned include: (1) parents with very different visions for their own sons and daughters can find common ground and work together for important changes; (2) victories can have unexpected consequences; (3) broader coalitions increase political clout, but once legislation is passed and appropriations are made, there will be many questions to settle about how the benefits are divided; (4) insiders in the system can and will be a help when common issues are discovered; (5) what took years to gain can be lost at the stroke of a pen; (6) ask for help and relinquish control when necessary in the interest of attaining what seems to be important; and (7) families need to be involved in finding solutions to problems, not only in identifying problems. (CR)