Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. – Confucius
There are a lot of things about Down syndrome that aren’t normal. I’m just going to say it. Let’s put that right on the table for a minute. Most people don’t have therapists, social workers, cardiologists, ENTs, or endocrinologists assessing their child. Not very typical. Although, even though I listed all of those things, no one of them is really a major thing. A lot of the health assessments for Down syndrome are routine. Doctors know what to look for and they stay ahead of symptoms…you know…instead of letting kids die like they used to. Don’t get me started. Humans have a tendency to suck sometimes, if we’re being honest.
I feel like lately I’ve been a little dramatic on the blog. Lots of talk about bigger, better, extraordinary. And it’s true. I want all of those things, and I’m working my butt off to be all of those things for my kids, but let’s be honest about where we are right this minute. So right this very minute, Mia is:
A toddler.
Yep.
She does toddler things.
Terrifying, I know. I spend most of my days gripped in fear.
She does so many scary things like:
Blowing bubbles
Reading books
Eating Cheerios
Looking at penguins at the zoo
Coloring
Dancing
Watching Sesame Street
And the scariest thing of all…selfies
I just don’t know how we’re going to make it through. Pray for us.
I read a very wise quote once on a blog by Kelle Hampton (who has a little girl with Down syndrome) that the great thing about life is you only have to live it one day at a time. In all seriousness, who knows what life will look like for ANY of us in 20 years. But you know what? I don’t have to live that life right now, and even when I get there, I only have to live it one day at a time too! It’s sort of an amazing thing.
So here’s to living on Tuesday, September 29, 2015. Enjoy your day, one second, one minute, and one hour at a time. I’m sure we’ll be spending it doing very scary toddler things…like making ourselves dizzy.