There are lots of resources that talk about the medical aspects of Down syndrome, the correct language to use when referring to people with Down syndrome, and the answers to the many questions people typically have. The National Down Syndrome Society is a good place to start.
After I received Miss Banana's diagnosis, I read just about everything I could that related to Down syndrome. I quickly found that the balm to my soul was reading about other families whose lives were also forever changed by some enhanced genetics. There are many people who say many things (much more eloquently than me) about Down syndrome. I am grateful to them for their wisdom on this path that has helped me become more than I was before.
In an effort to help someone else at the beginning of this road, I'm adding into the discourse my thoughts on having a child with Down syndrome.
My daughter is amazing. She is quite possibly the most easy-going, easy-to-please child around. She brings pure joy and delight into our lives.
Some parts of this journey have been, and will be, down right difficult. But so far, the most difficult parts have been the process of me learning how narrow-minded and petty I can be and learning that life is much bigger and more beautiful than what I could have possibly imagined. The other hard parts (which have been few and far between) come from dealing with people that do not understand the perfection that is found in my daughter--the magic that comes with an extra 21st chromosome.
I do not know the answer to why my daughter was chosen to have Trisomy 21. I do not know how it will fully impact the rest of our lives. But I do know that I have a loving Heavenly Father that has blessed me, my husband, my sons, and my daughter with an amazing opportunity to become more than we would have ever been without Down syndrome.
Because of Down syndrome, we are forever changed for the better.
To read more about receiving Miss Banana's diagnosis, read this post.
To read how I felt a year later, read this post.
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2 comments:
beautifully put...i also feel very blessed
When I read your post and the 'one year later' I feel like you have written my exact thoughts down and put them out for the world. You are exactly right. I find it hard to imagine that I ever lived any other way. I feel like I have such a broader perspective of life now and am much more accepting and open now than ever before. My love is 7 this year and I will tell you that life only continues to get richer from here.
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