I drove away from school drop off today crying. I got to watch Lydia greet her favorite aide with gigantic smiles and waving arms and watch that woman’s heart light up in response. I then saw Lydia turn around and watch her classmates get off the bus and she broke out in an ecstatic high-stepping happy dance at the sight of them. Her joy was overwhelming and infectious and uplifting. And this was after we had driven to school singing Ruldoph the Red Nose Reindeer, laughing together (“ho ho ho!”).
In my quiet car alone, my misty eyes full, I poured out my heart to God, thanking Him for letting me keep this girl. For letting me experience HER. For letting me know the full unrestrained beauty of Down Syndrome & “special needs.” I remember how much I feared it; how much I misunderstood. If you have ever worried about having a child with Down Syndrome—please don’t. I won’t say it’s easy, but I will tell you what it’s like. If you’ve ever seen a movie montage (think the movie The Giver) about the full spectrum of the human experience played out in its upmost cinematic form—the highs, the lows, the high resolution, wide-angle, full color, surround sound, all-in, rock your soul essence of life portrayed before your eyes; the kind that leaves you breathless & grateful to be alive to just learn and love and experience it all…
It’s like that.
We should be running TOWARDS these beacons of light, not away from them.
God bless the extra chromosomes. 💛