A few months ago I was asked to submit pictures for a class I was participating in. I chose one of Lydia that I had taken during the class and liked. As I was sending the email off, I thought, “She has oxygen in. I wonder if they’ll care?” I almost don’t see that anymore. And it was literally MONTHS later when I was looking at that picture and remembering that experience when I realized, “Aaaaaaand she has Down syndrome.” No big deal 😂
THAT, my friends, is the gift of new eyes. This girl has literally changed the way I see. Things that used to catch me up, grab my attention, make me feel unsure of what to do, even, don’t as much, anymore. They are not, actually, big deals! Instead of feeling awkward around people who are different, I get excited and smile. This amazing little person has taught me, with no words at all, to see and love and appreciate people for who they are and all that I can learn from them.
October is #downsyndromeawarenessmonth and I have been wondering what I could share. We are super new at this and there are a lot more experienced people sharing awesome things, but one of my friends made such a good point: maybe you know a lot of people with Down syndrome and are totally comfortable around them and their families. Maybe your feed (like mine now :) ) is full of amazing people who just happen to have an extra chromosome. But maybe it’s not? Maybe we are the one family you know or the family you know best and we get to be the ones to introduce you to this awesomeness. Either way, I hope you feel comfortable here. I hope you feel like you can ask any question any time, and I want you to know that I actually LIKE answering questions and sharing!! It shows that you care, and it helps break down the walls and build understanding that we are all just people, with more in common than we tend to believe. So here’s to a month of celebrating my girl, all the amazing people with extra chromosomes, and all of us with our own personal uniqueness! ❤️ #misslydiefaith #downsyndrome#theluckyfew