Reality….sometimes it is fantastic like freshly fallen snow…..
…. and sometimes not so much! Most days I love reality, really! My reality around here is tough but fantastic. Things don’t always go my way or get done the way I would like but hey I am OK with that. My kids have taught me whats most important, living your everyday to the fullest.
That is much more important then a perfectly clean kitchen floor. They really don’t care about that at all. If fact they don’t even bother thinking about it. I love that about them. My husband would beg to differ! Can’t please everyone right! HA!
This girl loves her Grandpas!
Well reality struck this week and I was not expecting it. Slapped me right in the face! You know those moments that make you stop in your tracks and swallow a huge lump that was just inserted into your throat. Oh yeah, reality.
Grace was chosen to be part of an article in a magazine – more of that coming soon! Very proud Mama I am! Part of the article was an interview with me and I was prepared…..I had answers to the questions, you know the general questions asked when talking about special needs. I was ready to go…I am gonna Rock This Out. So…. the questions began and I did rock them out because I feel good about the place we are in right now and what we are doing for Grace and the boys. In stepped…… Reality……What do you do when you are out in public and people stare at your daughter? Oh WOW! That hurts….how in the world do I answer that question?? Where do I go from here?? I sooooo was not expecting that even though it is a very valid question. What do I do?
Well I swallowed that lump and had to think fast! I had to answer this and I had to answer this right because this is reality in the special needs community. People look, stare and comment. Not sure I “ROCKED THAT OUT” because we all handle this differently. I am only 2 years into this journey and I am still learning. I responded to her that honestly I don’t ever think they are looking at Grace because she has Down Syndrome. I think they are looking at her because she is absolutely beautiful. Really I do…..When they look at me I think they are in awe of how lucky I am to have so many great kids! What a blessed life she has!
So this has been on my mind since Thursday afternoon……I am sad. I am sad because I am aware that the future could hold situations where my daughter might not be accepted like my other children and that totally breaks my heart. When strangers make a comment about her Down Syndrome it hurts, I am not gonna lie. It hurts because I want her to be Grace and not the child with Down Syndrome. I do know that those situations are giving me a chance to educate, to put that person at ease and to let them know that Grace is no different than any other child they have encountered. Educate…..I have to make it my job.
So……because I can not predict the future I chose to live in my reality, right here and right now! She is my beautiful, gorgeous baby girl and quite possibly my best friend and my teacher. She is what I want to be…strong and confident and yes believe me she is strong an confident at 2 years old. Sister kicked me right off the chair in the Dr office because big girl wanted her own chair next to big brother Sean.
So I guess I am putting this out there because I answered that question to the best of my capabilities but I know that there are so many other people who have masters degrees in this situation. I look forward to learning from all of you, but for right now and right here there are rainbows over this little girls head in my eyes.
It is my job to educate and to be confident because they are both contagious right! The stronger and more comfortable I am with our life the more comfortable everyone else will be.
On that note I have 6 kids waiting by the door to go sledding and my amazing cousin on her way to my house for some “Cousin Time!” ….so with that Happy Sunday.
Hug and enjoy your beautiful families! I know I plan too…… CHEERS!
