Regardless of whatever else you might think of her, this has got to be a check in her "plus" column. Life matters.
I once bought some calendars for various people who I knew would love them because they featured children with Down's Syndrome. They were beautiful. I don't remember the name of the company who printed them, it was something like "Angel Faces", "Beautiful Faces" or something like that but they were wonderful.
I am not living in a dreamworld. I know Down's children are difficult. I have five close friends who have them in their families. But each of them, though their life's work has become that child almost exclusively, would do nothing to change their lives. I spoke with one of those friends, Bill Nicholson, the other night about this very subject. He was incredulous about such shocking statistics and was heartbroken to think of life without his William, His beautiful namesake. The world would be a much poorer place without William.
Every time I see William, he reminds me of how much he misses me and Carl at church. He talks about how much he hopes we come to visit his ward. I tell him how much I want to come and see him bear his testimony again and how often I think of him and how much I love him. This is all so true.
One day when my son Brad was about twelve, he asked me if I thought it would be okay to pray for a Down's child. That's the kind of sweet child Brad was. I said that I thought that it was. I still think that it would be something okay to pray for. I would just be afraid to pray for it myself because I don't know if I'm that strong.
I also think that it is so sad that lives, in a desperate attempt to avoid trouble and difficulty, take such a horrifying step as abortion, without realizing that they are denying themselves the sweetest thing they could ever know.
5 comments:
I love your blog. Keep writing!
Thank you, Linda! I agree with Mark, I love your blog and keep it going! I whole-heartedly agree with your post! Any handicapped child is an angel...but I agree that Down's kids are as sweet as can be. That test they do during the pregnancy is optional and I always opt out of it for a couple reasons (one being, I'd love that baby regardless and another being I'm petrified of needles!).
I did not know the statistics were so high. I just think of the special spirits Heavenly Father sends to earth to experience life int his way. They are perfect and return to Him that way. How sad to deny them that opportunity!
When I was pregnant with Sami, one of the MANY MANY test we did, showed that she could have downs. I WAS TERRIFIED. Although abortion was never an option, of course, I didn't know if I was strong enough to deal with the pressure. Not just pressure of raising a downs child but pressure from others, especially my family who would not even understand why I'd bring a child with downs into the world.
After many more test, which confirmed that she didn't have downs. We were glad of course, but then I kind of wondered what Heavenly Father thought of me, that perhaps I am NOT strong enough to handle it..... I am always in awe of parents with downs, the amount of patience and love they have. They are heroes in my heart.
Annie, I had no idea. Those parents are heroes in my heart as well.
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