Small Wonder
Every morning I start the day by promising myself what an organized and attentive mother I'm going to be. Every evening when my head hits the pillow, I marvel at the fact that I even lived through the day, let alone tried to conquer it. Usually though, just before I drift away I smile when I think of all the amazing ways my daughter looks at life.
She sees things on a level that I can't even begin to fathom and while that may sound both pompous and defiant of me, I can assure you that I'm not trying to brag. Each child with special needs has a unique gift, some kind of extraordinary mechanism they employ to deal with some of the harsh realities of life. Even though you may want to call them gullible, you'd only be blinding yourself and selling them short. Lots of people assume that kids with Down Syndrome are alway "happy" and "sweet" and somehow that translates to being gullible or simple when in fact, these kids have some truly remarkable skills that often get overlooked.
I have two girls who could not be more different if they were born in seperate families. Put aside the whole chromosome thing for a moment and it becomes quite clear that my six year old has skills that my nine year old may never possess. My oldest daughter, who is completely healthy, is timid and afraid of virtually everything while my youngest, who happens to have Down Syndrome isn't afraid of anything, except flies. This kid could easily pet a rattlesnake but screeches at the mere sight of a fly. Go figure.
She has even been known to chide her older sister for being so skittish. I can't help but think this should be the other way around since I have coddled and spoiled my youngest, for far too long I might add. Yet, she's fearless, strong and independant. Medical professionals have poked, prodded, and examined her the whole of her life and yet she gets excited when I pull into the parking lot of the doctors office. In spite of everything, she resilliant.
The true irony is, that above all these things, she truly loves people, all people. She will say hi to and smile at anybody. At six, she's so incredibly intuitive about people as to be able to bend them to her will. She just has a way of finding that hidden trigger in people. Somedays I'm certain that kid has x-ray eyes and I'm constantly filled with wonder at all the beauty she sees in the world. She assumes all people will love her if she gives them just a little love to start, and the surprising thing is, they usually do. She has a gift, an insight, about the world around her. She sees beauty where there is none, because she wants to see it, and who can think poorly of a person who wants that?
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