October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month

I don't think much about being an advocate for people with disabilities. Advocate--that seems so much bigger than me. Sure, I share our story with people that ask and I do some public speaking, but beyond that I live a quiet life with Rourk and Ryan. It's not that I don't think about my son's disability. On the contrary, I look at Ryan and say to myself everyday, "He has Down Syndrome." It's hard not to do that when each day we do things because of his diagnosis. We go to the Meyer Center. We have therapists come to our home. We're busy trying to find time to incorporate activities into our life that will enhance his development. This has become our norm and there is seldom sadness when I think about Ryan's diagnosis. It took time for that to come, but now there is acceptance and amazement at all that he has accomplished in his two years. I may think of his diagnosis everyday, but I also think about how beautiful he is too. And I don't mean just because he has blonde hair and blue eyes. He has a beautiful personality. He enjoys life. He has this laugh that come from deep inside of him and I've been guilty of tickling him just to hear it. He's a sweetheart, but all boy. He has taught me more about life since his birth than I had learned in all of my 36 years combined. But above all he is smart. It's unfortunate that he lives in a society that will underestimate his abilities because of his diagnosis. I know ideas have changed in the last 25 years, but not enough. My hope is that you will take a few moments to read the stories that I have found about the amazing accomplishments of people with Down Syndrome. It's my way of promoting October as Down Syndrome Awareness Month and chipping away at those preconceived notions that we all have regarding people with disabilites.