Pumpkin Patch Ramblings
I'm so God damn sick of talking about Down syndrome.
I kept thinking today about what I should blog about. What is the one thing that I feel people should know about Down syndrome?
The only thing I kept thinking is that I wish everyone could see how NORMAL our lives are, how NORMAL Kelly is.
Oh, sure, we are extraordinary. As a family. Individually. But that has nothing to do with Down syndrome and everything to do with how much we rock at life.
We've had some crazy shit thrown at us and we always seem to come out on top. We're rockstars like that. But, again, that's nothing to do with Down syndrome.
Kelly is, honestly, one of the cutest kids I've ever seen. His personality draws people in. There's something really magical about the happiness he exudes and they way in which he can stir happiness in others.
But that has nothing to do with Down syndrome. That's just Kelly.
So to say that Kelly is who he is because of Down syndrome is to say Iryna is the way she is because she only has 46 chromosomes. Our genetic make up is only 50% of us. The rest is what we make of it.
Most of us will look at the world and see the same damn thing. But it is the special few, the gifted, that will grasp the meaning of life in a whole different way, illuminating the unusual, highlighting the misunderstood and under appreciated. These people are our gifts.
That's not to say that Down syndrome is to be ignored. It is a major part of Kelly's life. It always will be. Its impact will be felt by all of us. Every day. Kelly may need help from his family for the rest of his life. But that hardly makes him any different than the rest of us.
We can't carry the burden of life on one set of shoulders. It's just not possible. That's the point of coming together. As friends. As lovers. As life partners. Building a bond, a family, a community.
I love what Mike and I have built together. I love the imperfections and the struggles. I love even the bitter tears shed... and the sweet tears of pure joy. Life is good.
I kept thinking today about what I should blog about. What is the one thing that I feel people should know about Down syndrome?
The only thing I kept thinking is that I wish everyone could see how NORMAL our lives are, how NORMAL Kelly is.
Oh, sure, we are extraordinary. As a family. Individually. But that has nothing to do with Down syndrome and everything to do with how much we rock at life.
We've had some crazy shit thrown at us and we always seem to come out on top. We're rockstars like that. But, again, that's nothing to do with Down syndrome.
Kelly is, honestly, one of the cutest kids I've ever seen. His personality draws people in. There's something really magical about the happiness he exudes and they way in which he can stir happiness in others.
But that has nothing to do with Down syndrome. That's just Kelly.
So to say that Kelly is who he is because of Down syndrome is to say Iryna is the way she is because she only has 46 chromosomes. Our genetic make up is only 50% of us. The rest is what we make of it.
Most of us will look at the world and see the same damn thing. But it is the special few, the gifted, that will grasp the meaning of life in a whole different way, illuminating the unusual, highlighting the misunderstood and under appreciated. These people are our gifts.
That's not to say that Down syndrome is to be ignored. It is a major part of Kelly's life. It always will be. Its impact will be felt by all of us. Every day. Kelly may need help from his family for the rest of his life. But that hardly makes him any different than the rest of us.
We can't carry the burden of life on one set of shoulders. It's just not possible. That's the point of coming together. As friends. As lovers. As life partners. Building a bond, a family, a community.
I love what Mike and I have built together. I love the imperfections and the struggles. I love even the bitter tears shed... and the sweet tears of pure joy. Life is good.
posted by The Histrionics of a Fat Housewife at 10:53 PM
2 Comments:
You guys ARE awesome at life!
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