The Lucky 95%

I know I've touched on this before, but I have the kid who says hi to everyone.

He waves ecstatically to each vehicle that drives by when we are on a walk.

He waves and shouts, "Hiiiiii!" if he hears a car alarm go off or a car beeping when it locks.

He hugs his friends when he sees them.  Sometimes two or three times!  He even hugs strangers when the universe grants permission. He is no dummy. He is connected to more than we can see.

Right now he is six-and-a-half years old. I do not tell him that he can't say hi to everyone. I won't tell him that he can't give random people hugs (especially once the pandemic is over!). I will not hinder his innate, loving, accepting, inclusive behavior because that is not my place.

Someday, he will be an adult that does this.

How do I feel about that?

Kids are one thing, but as people become adults, things aren't so cute anymore.

When I was growing up, or, heck, any moment before Brady P. came into my life, I was afraid of people who said hi to everyone.

Afraid!

They just said "hi" and waved ecstatically, and I was afraid!

All I knew then was my perspective. I was obviously insecure with myself. I absolutely did not take the time to understand other people who seemed to be different than me.

Now I get to.

My previous experience gave me compassion for the people who don't say hi back to my super-friendly little boy. Most people do, by the way. Probably 95% of people are absolutely charmed by him.

The rest pretend they didn't hear him.

That used to be me!

But I can't think, "Geez, what a jerk!"

No!

I just get to think, "Yup. I used to be like that. Maybe they will understand someday."

But maybe they won't. Maybe it is not their journey, and I cannot judge. That is not my role.

Or any human's role!

We are all just here doing the best we can with what we have and what we know.

That's exactly what Brady P. is doing.

He lifts the hearts and spirits of 95% of the people he meets just by being himself.

It's true that you can't please everyone, but 95% isn't bad.

That other 5% may or may not figure it out someday. I was so ignorant about it that the type of person I used to turn my back to came out of my own body and now we spend nearly every day together.

Ummm, message received!

And now we get to share that message with others.

Sunday was World Down Syndrome Day. 3/21. It stands for Trisomy 21 which means there are 3 chromosomes on the 21st pair. Pretty clever, hey?

It's also the first day of spring, and this year in the harbor, it was glorious, so we had a little parade to celebrate!

You'll have to visit the blog to see the video. Thank you to my friend Steve for putting it together!

And considering the fact that I am still a nut that waves to random people, I will be proud of him when he does that forever too.

3:21

HAPPY WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY!!!

I never knew a day existed to celebrate Down syndrome until I had a child of my own with the extra 21st chromosome.  When I learned it was on March 21st, the first day of spring (well, this used to be the first day of spring!), I thought that was perfect.

Spring represents a new beginning.  A waking up from our long hibernation.  So to celebrate a condition that used to be left in the dark and cast in the shadows with the light of a new beginning sounds like a fantastic parallel.

Also, the earth is in perfect balance between darkness and light.  Between the shortest and longest days of the year.

I took that idea a step further, and remembered what Martha Beck wrote in her memoir Expecting Adam (a fantastic read, by the way).  To start the book, Martha was speaking with a psychic.  Martha's son, Adam (a three-year-old with the extra chromosome), was coming through the psychic to tell his mother to relax a bit.  That it was all going to be okay.

What struck me most was when the psychic said, "He's on both sides of the veil." (*I am paraphrasing this section, as I am unable to find my copy of the book for confirmation.)

Now, I don't know what you believe about spirituality or religion, and I'm not going to tell you what I think you should believe.  But what this woman was saying was that Adam, a small child with Down syndrome, was both on this earth in physical form and lingering in the spiritual realm beyond what we can see.  

At the same time.

I instantly thought about Braeden when I read that.  His wholeness, wisdom and ability to connect with everyone had me believe that my own son was on both sides of the veil as well.  And still is.  And probably, so are all people with this extra chromosome.

They know, see and feel more than most people.  

They are in perfect balance.  Just like the earth at this time.

I cried when I learned all those things.

And now I celebrate today with a joyful and purposeful heart...

And CrAzY socks!

One way to raise awareness for Down syndrome is to wear crazy socks today.  Show them off.  Take a picture of your wildly clad feet and post it on the internet.  Get together in the office or school or grocery store with all the other people wearing crazy socks and hang it on a billboard.

The school kids in their crazy socks!

Because Down syndrome is cool, man.  It's really cool.

I am down with Down syndrome.

Below is a video that totally jerked my heart strings.  50 mums and 50 4-year-olds with Down syndrome doing karaoke in their car.  They are lip syncing and signing the words instead of singing.

Click here to watch the video!

Seriously.  Take 4 1/2 minutes of your day and check it out.    It's World Down Syndrome Day!  

What really got me was seeing the moms' reactions to their children.  The beaming pride.  The deep, genuine love.  The spontaneous laughter from spontaneous goofiness.

I experience those things with Braeden everyday.  And maybe all moms of all types of children do!  I can't really compare because I am only Braeden's mom.  That is what I know.  

It is also something I love.

And I would not trade it for anything else.  You couldn't offer me anything in this whole world that would make me want to take away my son's extra chromosome.  It is truly a gift.  A gift that gives love everyday.

A gift in perfect balance.  A gift of a new beginning.