World Down Syndrome Day

This Friday is World Down Syndrome Day. Libby will be four years old in two months. It's funny to think about where we were four years ago. Just a couple months away from welcoming our first child. Unaware of the fact that our world was about to be turned completely upside down. In the absolute best way possible. We knew we were getting a gift.  We just didn't have the capability to understand the magnitude of our gift. How she would force us to examine our own lives. And everything we valued. How she would help us see this temporary world we live in differently. How she would help us see the eternal world we were really made for. How she would reshape our dreams. How she would change the way we see people. How she would inspire us to love people.

A few weeks after Libby was born, I went back to see the doctor who delivered her. She wanted to check in and make sure I was doing okay. It was another one of those encounters God so clearly orchestrated for me. This doctor shared  personal stories with me. She told me about her sister who has special needs. She told me about another friend who has a child with autism. And then she said something I've never forgotten. She said, Every single child, every single one of us, has special needs. You just have the advantage of knowing Libby's needs up front. Well put. It think about this statement all the time. Because it's true. Every one of us is uniquely designed. Perfectly designed. By Him. Every one of us has weaknesses. And every one of us has strengths.

Libby was given to us with a laundry list of what would be her weaknesses. From day one. We heard the list over and over again.  She has low muscle tone. Her little body is fragile. There will be significant developmental delays. Things are going to be harder for her. I struggled under the weight of this laundry list. Sometimes I still do. But from the very beginning her weaknesses only seemed to highlight her strengths. Her peacefulness. Her willingness to go straight from school to physical therapy with a smile on her face. Her unbelievable patience with doctors and appointments. Her fierce tenacity in everything she does. Her joyful disposition. 

I took some videos of Annie and her cousins playing in the snow last month.  Libby was recovering from her second round of brain surgery. All I could think was what a contrast Libby's life was to theirs. At that very moment, anyway. And as a mom, my heart ached. Then, I showed the videos to Libby. She watched them with the biggest smile on her face.  She asks to watch these videos over and over again. And her smile never fades. Her best friends playing in the snow. She genuinely loves they're having fun. She's delighted for them. It happens in different kinds of scenarios. All the time. And her reaction is always the same. Happiness for others. That's Libby. 

Are things harder for her? Sure. In some ways. But it didn't take me long after having my daughter to recognize my very own laundry list of weaknesses. Guess what? I'm not very willing to do things I don't want to do. I'm not very patient. I can be tenacious, but mostly it's just because I want my way. And I tend to be envious when others are doing something I wish I could do. There are so many ways I wish I was more like my daughter.

We're so thankful for the way Libby has opened our eyes. We're thankful for the new friends she continues to bring into our lives. We don't just want to raise awareness about World Down Syndrome Day. We celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. We are all wonderfully made. He loves us more than we can imagine. Weaknesses and all. May He help us love the same way! 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14