there is a 20 year old girl born with Down syndrome that lives in our community...she is famous, an icon of sorts...she is the one that everyone points to when you are getting to know your child that is born with Down syndrome...she is the girl that gives you hope...she is the girl that shows you that everything is going to be ok...when we returned from having Maddie and Maddie was just a little baby...someone gave me her moms phone number to call...for support...I never did...I crumbled the paper and I choose to disengage...I choose this because I was not ready to see that everything "could" be ok...I was not ready to believe that life was not as bad as I had made it in my head...sometimes I am just not ready to face that I am wrong...so as I came out of my depression and self loathing...I went to a fundraiser for the organization that provides services for Maddie...and there she was in a little pink mini skirt, leggings, and cocky little wiggle in her walk...I giggled and smiled and thought that someday that would be my Maddie...still I was not ready to talk with her...I did not know what to say or how to act...so I just stalked her from a far and enjoyed the distance...Friday night we went to our local high school volleyball game...I was not really wanting to be there...end of the week...and tired...so I was chasing Maddie and a colleague of Chads said Kim...Mrs. Sharpe... I would like to introduce you to Mr. S. and Mrs. S and there daughter... S...there she was the famous S...the famous girl born with Down syndrome...was standing in front of me...and she was everything I thought she would be...beautiful...she has blonde hair with hot pink stripes...and she was coming to the games to watch her brother play football...her parents were so excited to meet Maddie...they had heard of her...we live in a small community so everyone knows most everyone...and they treated us like we were long lost friends...and S was more interested in her purple cell phone and her friends then meeting a cute little Maddie! it was priceless...and it made think of how selfish I have been about meeting "older" people born with Down syndrome...I have been down right rude about it...I have let my fears and my insecurities interfere...with being nice...if I do not accept all people born with Down syndrome...then how can I expect anyone to accept Maddie...it was a chance encounter...and it was just what I needed...as Maddie gets older I am so excited to watch her become the famous Maddie that changes stereo types in our community...
Sunday, October 9, 2011
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Amazing how life presents these "opportunities" for our growth, when we least expect it. Maddie will change those stereotypes in your community...and more than just your community too...I just know it!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAfter Russell was born one of the nurses at the Hospital gave me a phone number of another Mom she knew who had a child with Ds...I did the same thing with that number...I crumpled it up and threw it away. Back then my mind wasn't ready to flash forward. It was hard for me to see older kids with Ds. Of course, now that I am comfortable in the spot I am right now I wish I had kept that number.
ReplyDeleteThat's so awesome that you got to finally meet this family. And I loved hearing what a typical teenager the girl was :)
Even though you were ready to meet this gal right after Maddie was born, I'm glad she was still around. That you could hear about her and have the chance to meet her when Maddie was a little older. I wish I had the same opportunity.
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