Blessed

Today I advocated on behalf of my daughter. I could not stand by, do nothing, and let March 31 go by without at least trying to have some impact. Quinn is depending upon me. Quinn is depending upon all of us. I think I was successful in getting some individuals to think about what the r-word means and how it can hurt people. People listened. They shared experiences. At one point of the day, someone told me that Quinn was blessed. He/she said that Quinn was blessed because she has me, her father, and her brothers. If you knew this person, you would know what a huge beautiful compliment this was. I could tell it was sincere. I was moved and touched. I told this person thank you, but it is really I who am blessed. Quinn is exactly what I needed in my life. I am astounded at how I was going along in my life without a clue of what I was missing. I want to make this perfectly clear – I am not a special parent or a person with special abilities in parenting a child with special needs. I still struggle. I still get sad. This will continue. But, overall, I have been moved by this little girl’s impact in my life. I hope everyone is blessed in some way by having someone who has Down syndrome or another disability in their lives. It could be a friend, family member, Godchild, acquaintance, anyone – don’t just live your life without really looking at these wonderful people and the unconditional love they possess. We can learn many lessons about ourselves, others, and the world around us through these experiences. Without Quinn I would have never have done what I did today. She has inspired me to make a difference in this world. Thank you my darling Quinn. I am blessed to be your mommy.

-Karyn