Aaaahhhhhh….exhale. This week flew by but not without savouring a few Christmas moments. Last week I could barely breathe, I felt like I was drowning gasping for a little air but this week. Aaaaaahhhhhh. A little perspective regained, a few relationships restored, and a a lot of time with a not-so-stressed-out-and-a-little-more-present mommy. Look my girl. Isn’t she getting big!
After a week of being sick and another week spent worrying that we were back to square one Ella took leaps and bounds this week. She added “please” to her signing repertoire, started to side step along the bench and has almost mastered climbing the stairs. Sometimes I try and think about what Down Syndrome means…..but that is the unexplainable part about it. After you have had a child with Down Syndrome it isn’t scary anymore. Its like the first time you jump off the diving board or try riding a bike. You never think you want it until you have it. Written at the bottom of all of Andrea Roberts (Executive Director of RR) emails is “Because every family deserves the blessing of a child with Down Syndrome.” It is so true. My sister-in-law wrote on her blog about what we are doing for Bennett and she talked about Ella’s hugs. Have you ever hugged Ella? If you have you’ll know that she holds tight. But that’s not it. After a few seconds of tight squeezes she holds you at arms length, gives you the most genuine smile, and goes in for round two. She is my angel, and really does bless anyone she meets.
Just imagine her in a cold concrete orphanage, with no one to accept her hugs, or return them. That is where Bennett is.
I keep coming back to the word “Warrior.” They don’t ask you to be a Christmas helper, or Christmas Advocate but a Christmas warrior. I don’t deal well with failure so I feel a lot of pressure to live up to this term (I think my parents think I am crazy and going to come home for Christmas with an extra child). I felt a little opposition today for the first time in the three days I have been a warrior and it made my heart sink. Lucky for me though, not only am I a warrior but I have an army behind me. Left, right and center, friends are spreading the word and spreading the love! And for that I thank them. We may have reached our goal, but the Christmas Warrior program goes until December 31st so we will continue to conquer and fight to give Bennett a chance at his Christmas wish of a forever family. Please give.
Along with trying to get Bennett closer to his forever family, this week I was thankful to be able to get down to some real Christmas business.
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