#tbt So this picture always slays me, you guys. Her reaching out and holding my hand *just barely* because she wasn’t quite ready to let go. The way she is looking at me as if she is waiting for me to give her the approval to let go. The way I don’t know if I will ever be able to let go. As a mama, you always want to protect them and give them the right opportunities with room to make their own mistakes to grow and become the best little humans possible. Sounds SO EASY…right?
Balancing the “am I doing this right’s” and the “am I screwing them up’s” and all the beauty and joy that also comes with the incredibly hard stuff. After Ruby was born, I wanted so badly to shelter her from the hard stuff because I wasn’t sure my mama heart could handle her failing or getting hurt or being picked on. She quickly showed me her strength…her determination…her spirit to achieve. I now look ahead and embrace challenges we may face because I know she will continue to achieve.
THIS is why I am so passionate about helping people who are STRONG and DETERMINED who just happen to have Down syndrome continue to ACHIEVE. It is so important, you guys. What this is helping them achieve isn’t just about job opportunities and gaining life skills (although those are super important)…it’s about finding your passion and your self-worth. Feeling like you are part of a community and giving back to that community. My daughter may not have to hold my finger anymore, but she still looks up to me with those eyes, and someday I know she will be waving goodbye to me with those same chubby fingers that once held so tightly to mine. She will show me again her strength and determination as she chases those dreams I so desperately wanted her to follow.