Before I discovered A Perfect Lily, I had never really known anyone with down syndrome. I mean, I had seen it or heard about it, but I had never really experienced it. Now, be prepared because I'm not sure how much of an experience mine is, but here goes.
A few days ago, I was at the library and I decided to do the 5:00 Update. I got on A Perfect Lily, and that was when I discovered Artem. I was reading his story, checking the donation totals, and marveling at his beauty when someone passed by my computer. They saw Artem's picture, and said a REALLY hurtful thing about him (I'm not going to share what was said. It was that... wrong.). I didn't respond, and they just kept walking. The comment wasn't directed toward me, but I heard it.
That caused me to really think. Rest assured, I never would have thought what that person did about Artem. But what would I have thought? I tried, (I don't know WHY I tried) but I just couldn't see anything but a beautiful little boy. So sweet, so precious, not a thing bad I can say.
Whoever that person was who commented about Artem, just didn't know. They didn't know that the innocent boy they were looking at was living in a scary orphanage in a foreign country. They didn't know that his Mommy had done some less than honorable things during her pregnancy. They didn't know that if he didn't find a family, this little boy would be placed in a mental institution. They didn't know.
I know. I know all about it. I check Reece's Rainbow daily, I check just about 237 blogs (exaggeration may or may not be being used here) a day that are written by people who either have kids blessed with UP syndrome, or who are advocating for children without Moomy's and Daddy's on Reece's Rainbow (or both!)
This one little experience caused me to totally rethink who I am. Because I'm not the same person I was before I discovered the beauty of "UP Syndrome". I'm different. I'm don't want to say better, but I definitely changed. For the Better.
A whole new world was opened up too me. I'm so glad to be a part of that world. So even though I guess I still don't personally know anyone with D.S, I know so much else. I know I'm going to do whatever I possibly can to save some beautiful orphans over in Europe. I know that some people, well they just haven't been touched by the beauty of those lives. I'm praying that they will be.
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God." - Ezekiel 36:26-28
I'm new in my knowledge.
God Bless,
Sydney
Great post. My eyes were opened when we were told that my unborn daughter was very sick and it was possibly due to her having Down syndrome. I was forever changed because I knew in that moment that I wouldn't love her any less or differently. God does not make mistakes, He makes each of us just as He intended!
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