A Little Fluff

Man, there has been a lot of fluff lately.  A lot of fluff here in my posts.  I guess I just haven't felt particularly thoughtful or eloquent, but I have been enjoying getting into the habit of sharing some snippets of our everyday life again.

This everyday life isn't all that unusual or extraordinary at all.  In fact, it seldom seems like there's much value in sharing it at all.

But I do like the idea of sharing little moments and glimpses of our family.  I like being able to show that in our own ways, we are just like everyone else, living an average and sometimes wonderful life.

I know that when a family learns that their child has Down syndrome, there are so many worries and questions.  There are worries for the child and for what it will mean for them, their life, their independence, their health. 

And there are also worries about what it will mean for their family.  People worry that their family won't be able to handle it, that perhaps they won't love their child with Down syndrome as much as their other children, that their siblings will be burdened, that their marriages and family may fall apart under the pressure.

That's why it is so important for our stories to be out there. For the stories of regular families sharing that their lives aren't ruined, that their families aren't overwhelmingly burdened, that they are overall better off for having their loved one in their lives.  There need to be some real life testimonials to the fact that statistics show that people with Ds and their families are happy with their lives.

There is so much more out there to share and to learn.  There are so many more stories that are needed, particularly the voices of those with Down syndrome themselves.  But because I can only speak from the perspective of a parent, that is the story that I can share.  Those are the words and images that a new frightened parent can stumble upon as they Google what to expect.

So I'll continue to share my fluff.  And sometimes my thoughts, some of which can get a little less fluffy from time to time.

In the meantime, something soft and happy from the apple festival at a local nursery.  Funnily, I have no photos of apples, just of us being silly, and Cora painting a pumpkin.  It was a lovely and beautiful afternoon, spent chasing Cora through the outdoor aisles of the nursery, when last year we walked her around holding both hands since she hadn't started walking completely on her own yet.  Even then it felt freeing.  In fact, it was probably more freeing, since she wasn't able to run away from us yet.

But it was a lovely little day.  A day where we appreciated having this sassy, silly, and beautiful little girl in our lives.