Over at The Road We’ve Shared, in April I talked about Changing the World, Heart Surgery, Marcus the Musical, Police & Patience, Truth, and What Should Have Been Said…

Changing the World

There are many C words that came to mind that accompany this idea of change. What about challenge? It is our challenge to speak-up. I believe, I really do believe, that if advocates continue to speak up, even if we don’t agree on the details, our combined voices bring attention to injustices. It is our job to challenge each other, to challenge the past and to challenge the future.

Compassion…we must have compassion in order to expect it. Compassion is not a weakness, it pushes us to make change. Compassion is not to be turned from or scorned, compassion allows others to both feel pain when we feel pain and find hope in our potential.

I’m not sure compassion can be taught, but for those that hold its capabilities, we must allow others to feel it. To express it. To share it.

And Courage. Full blog here.

Heart Surgery

My baby weighed 18 lbs and was almost two years old when I carried him into Children’s Hospital to have his ASD, a heart defect, mended. The hardest moments I have ever endured, surround the days leading up to and immediately following my baby’s chest being cut open and allowing, needing, hating having his tiny beating heart in the hands of a surgeon, a mere mortal.

Full Blog here.

Marcus The Musical 

Then came Lion King. He never tired of the Lion King. His little arms shot up as a sign of pure joy each time the sun rose on the screen and those first notes of “Circle of Life” hit the screen. So naturally, when Lion Kingthe Musical opened in NYC on Broadway, once there was a way for us to take him, we snatched the chance.

Well, that’s how it all began. Marcus saw his destiny. Full blog here.

Patience, Police, Pathetic Excuses, Prevention, Petition +

My son works very hard just to make a sentence. Not because he doesn’t understand, not because he doesn’t know what to say, because that’s the way he was built. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to have a voice or to be heard. Want to make the world a better place? Choose Patience.

Full blog here.

Truth 

The truth is my son has 47 chromosomes and I live with 46. Chances are you do, too. The truth is, you and I don’t know what 47 chromosomes feels like.

(The truth is, this is one of my favorite posts. It’s short and sweet, so to speak,

so if you only read one…full post here.)

What Should be Said

A true story – and my reaction:

When the mother picked up Amanda from preschool, and a boy from her class marched up to her and said, “Amanda put on my coat today.”

“Well, that’s silly,” the mother replied.

“No, it’s not,” said the boy, “Now it’s got Down syndrome all over it.”

The mother’s mouth opened but her heart stopped any reply. The boy’s mother, standing nearby, shuffled him away. No further words spoken.

Full post here.

Soooo  – a bit of light reading to wrap up April. 🙂

Thank you to Stephanie for getting the words from our community into the greater blog world via the A-Z Challenge. Great idea, if not exhausting. You’d think she’d take May off, but NO! On to bigger and better challenges. You go girl!  I’m right behind you, as soon as I catch my breath.