The Blessings of Downs

If you ever have the need to email Andrea from Reece's Rainbow - you will notice that at the bottom of all her emails is the following phrase included in her "signature" ...

"Because every family deserves the blessing of a child with Down syndrome .... "

Ha. I imagine that if you said this out in the open - that it would perplex most. Perhaps it would also be a mind boggling statement for some of those who are Christians. I mean, most would jump on the bandwagon of protecting and even saving those little lives, but to go so far as to call it a ... blessing?!? To go so far as to adopt them??? Really?

I am being a little factitious ... okay, maybe a lot of factitious. ;) My point, is that this statement on the bottom of her emails is SO VERY TRUE. Since we have had Justus, we have not only been made aware of how precious EVERY life truly is, but we also have been apart of seeing the BLESSINGS of having a child with special needs. I feel like it is some great secret, that the world has yet to discover. Why wouldn't the world want to be apart of something so beautiful?

Having Justus has been one of the most wonderful things to have happened to our family. Our family is learning so much from having him here. Benevolence, patience, simple joy and contentment, rallying, and the list goes on. Having Justus has enriched this Mom's life ... tremendously - and I never want to turn back. Down syndrome is really nothing more to me than just apart of him. I have read other moms blogs that say things like "If I could ask for ____ to be born without Ds, I would; but ..."

Well, I can say - I don't ever see myself asking God to go back and somehow allow Justus to be born without Ds. I don't see myself asking for a "healthy" Justus, as oppossed to him having Ds. Down syndrome is apart of him. While it may not dictate WHO he is, it is a major part of him. To me, it is almost as if it is what helps to make up his BEAUTIFUL personality.

Down syndrome has certainly ENRICHED the Browning home. I wish EVERY family could experience what we have over the last seventeen months of having Justus. You would come away changed ... for the better.

Now we are embarking on bringing home two, possibly three more children with Ds - and we could not be more excited. We also rejoice in seeing other children with Ds finding their "forever families".

This little secret of the blessing of Downs is slowly getting out ...

" ... because EVERY family deserves the blessing of a child with Down syndrome ..."