Last week I was wounded by two separate accounts of mothers of a child with Down syndrome who made lethal choices. One within the legal bounds of abortion and the other through willful neglect that led to the torturous death of her son. One made worldwide headlines as a “kindness” and story of anguish for the mother, the other, at the time of sentencing, found only in her local newslines.
Another mother, Patti Saylor, will continue to find justice for the loss of her son, with the wrongful death lawsuit finally moving forward.
So my excuse for falling off the 31 for 21 wagon is this: Life is easier in a bubble. This is an embarrassing confession because I know it is selfish to allow my own well-being to be altered by strangers. Though I want to share positive stories and lessons that Marcus helps me to see, sometimes the world blows in and extinguishes the light. I am inclined to hold Marcus close to me, curl up in a corner, and stay there.
The problem is we cannot hope to make change while we hide in the dark. So, with Marcus as the light, I hope to hit it harder this week.
Ah, my friend we are frighteningly simpatico.
It’s true.