For the past 5 years since Colin was born, we have spent every October blogging about Down Syndrome Awareness. Although a lot of the people that read the blog have children of their own with Down Syndrome (and it's sort of like preaching to the choir), I have still found it be enjoyable and important because you never know who might stumble upon the blog one day....a new parent, an educator, or someone that finds it by accident. You never know what anyone may be going through on any given day and what they might need to get from seeing something on the blog.
This year I sort of faltered a bit on the actual challenge (blogging every day for 31 days) and there's a million and one reasons I can list for that. Chris and I decided a long time ago that it did not matter that Colin came sporting an extra chromosome because we believed in our hearts that he was just a little boy, like any other. We knew that we were going to raise him just like we would (and do for) any other child. That means that on some days, we have to work extra hard so that Colin can learn the same things that come pretty naturally for others. Some days Down Syndrome isn't there; some days we are just a family of five. However, there are times when the struggle is real because we haven't quite figured out how to get through a challenge we are facing. We believe that one day, Colin will live and work in a world alongside his peers and be the special person we know that he is. To do that, we believe that he should be learning right alongside those same peers.
Colin is a special, loving, smart, funny, happy, caring, charismatic, fun-loving, active, theatrical, unique, and stubborn little boy with Down Syndrome. We want people to know that Colin is perfect the way he is and we wouldn't ask to change a thing about him. Do we wish that things were easier for him? Of course we do, but we believe that with the right support and guidance, he CAN and WILL do anything he sets his mind to.
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