Friday, March 15, 2013

Who I Am

 


My daughter has Down syndrome.  Who she is can be only partially summed-up by adjectives -

smart...



 funny...



beautiful...



compassionate...




stubborn...




determined...




energetic...



enthusiastic...



kind...



polite...



But that's not all of who she is. 

She is my daughter.  She is the light of the lives of her father, her grandparents, and me, myself.  She is a student.  She is nearly 7 years old.  She likes playing doctor, reading books, eating spaghetti, posing for pictures, playing computer games, crawling into our bed at 5:30am and going back to sleep for a bit longer, watching Arthur or Curious George, going to school, traveling...and the list goes on and on and on...

She is close to being able to dictate this post herself, to tell you, from her own lips, who she is.  But until that time, I don't feel that my telling you who she is is entirely fair. 

But I can speak for myself.  Who I am, as a result of who she is.  The resulting woman she has created by coming into my life, extra chromosome and all.



Who I am.

That's what I can tell you.

I am a mother, first and foremost.  I am a mother who has learned more than I ever thought possible about a world stretching out well-beyond the one that accompanies the typical experiences of motherhood. 

Down syndrome, the presence of the extra 21st chromosome being shared within each and every cell in my daughter's body, has made me different.  I don't mean to say that it's just Down syndrome that has made me who I am, but it's Down syndrome *within* the person my daughter is that has helped to shape me. 

If that makes sense.



I am my daughter's mother.

I am ready to meet new challenges head-on, to take on the world if it means providing the best opportunities for my daughter.

I am passionate about a cause.

I am educated in much of the minutiae of childhood development that most parents take for granted. 

I am strong.

I am a person with so much more patience and understanding than I ever though I was capable of.

I am part of a community that has embraced and welcomed us with open arms, a warm and loving club full of people sharing like-interests and experiences.

I am a teacher.

I am an advocate.

I am so, so lucky to be her mother.



22 comments:

Www.autismandlove.com said...

She's beautiful and that was a lovely post xxx

Beth said...

Classic, beautiful writing! You're almost as amazing as your daughter ;)

Lisa said...

Beautiful.

Unknown said...

Beautiful, Becca! I loved all the pics. You and Sammi rock!

CJ said...

You are beautiful and so is she! Very well written emotions and gorgeous photos....per usual!

Lisa said...

perfectly put!

The Holt's said...

This is beautiful!

Leah said...

This is beautiful!

And those photos... oh my. The polite pic has to be one of my all time Sammi faves. And determined! Those eyes!! Amazing.

Unknown said...

I think this may be my favorite post ever written...I simply think it is pe refectory! Wonderful! Smiles

Anna Theurer said...

Great post! I love how you did the "Who I Am: campaign and I LOVE all of the Sammi pics--esp the ones where she is younger :)

Deanna said...

Love this! And those pictures are slaying me with the cuteness, beautifulness, and awesomeness present in all of them! Love to both of you!

Laura said...

Beautifully done! And Sammi looks so much like you:)

Anna said...

Well done my friend. Well done.

Debbie's Reality said...

My daughter is 7 and will be 8 in June. She is the light in the room. She is the joy we feel. She is the smile on our faces. She has brought so much of all that is good and hopeful into everyone's life who knows and loves her.

I love my daughter.

Thank you for explaining it so elegantly and plainly. I appreciate it so very much. - from Nova Scotia, Canada

Rochelle said...

I think this is my favorite post! Beautiful!

April Vernon said...

Great job! I love this!

The Annessa Family said...

Amen.

Brooke
Www.MarvelousLoveBlog.com

Deb said...

Samantha, has the most beautiful blue eyes that I have ever seen...in closeup pics, they are absolutely mesmerizing! Her eyes personify the saying that "eyes are the windows to the soul"...Sammi has a beautiful soul. Thank you for sharing her awesomeness with us!

Sally said...

Fabulous - as usual, Becca!

JC said...

This is my favorite post by you. The pictures are gorgeous, and the words... Absolutely beautiful.

my family said...

what a beautiful post

Wordshurtorheal said...

So glad we are in the Club. You are awesome. I loved this one!!!