As Nevaeh grows and gets older I see more and more of a little girl in her, and it makes my heart smile. Although she picks on her sister. I know she has this amazing loving heart that is big enough to hold everyone she meets. She makes friends with a smile and a loving hug. She can make me turn to jello with a single head shrug and toothy grin. But as she grows I worry. How do I tell her she is different (better) but different. Will she ask me? Do I wait until then? I know she is not ready yet and probably wont be for a year or two. But most parents worry about talking to their kids about the birds and the bees, I have to worry about telling my oldest daughter she has downs syndrome. That she has so many things working against her, so many things that will require her to work a little harder, but in amongst all the extra work she can and will do everything her heart and mind wants to do. That even though she may have designer genes she is still a person. One day a woman who will teach all of us a thing or two. Okay I am sure she will teach us more like a million things.
But for now she is 2 and MY little peanut butter baby, with a heart melting, soul crunching smile. She is my daughter, a grand-daughter, a sister, a cousin, a niece, and a friend. And she is exceeds greatness at all these titles. She runs around the house pushing her little chair running into her dogs, myself and her sister with a fit of laughter. She goes digging through the cupboard where the chocolate bars are hidden and brings me the box with her famous head tilt, and a soft "please". She signs "signing time" then will sign a word form the specific video she wants to watch. She is amazing!
Now for Maëlle my worries for her are somewhat the same in many ways. I know both my girls will grow up to be beautiful, we will worry about boys, and homework. We will worry about them every time they step one foot out the front door. Every time they drive a car, or take a ride from someone else. We will worry about other kids and people bullying or being mean to our babies. But we will teach them to be strong, smart. To have good hearts and to treat everyone like they would like to be treated. We will teach them to be honest, to be generous, to be diligent, patient, to show kindness, to be respectful, to be brave, modest. And most importantly to love without boundaries. How do I teach these sponge like minds all this? How do I even begin? Where are these lessons I strive to teach my children. Google? Funny thing my girls have already started teaching me to be brave, patient, to show kindness, and to love with no rules or boundaries. These are lessons we will learn and teach each other. We will learn through life. We will learn from the past. We will learn form our elders.
I look forward to every lesson good or bad life throws at us. Because us as a family will be strong and smart. We are ready. So life it is up to you! We are letting you guide our ways. We want you to help us teach and learn!
~m
xoxo
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