This is hard to admit but I remember after Mayas’ diagnosis, crying and feeling sad that Ryan and I would never be empty nesters, and get the chance to travel together just us two once the kids were grown. I remember Ryan holding me and saying, “but just think, well get to show our baby the world!” That snapped me out of my self pity real fast and I got so excited by that idea. And let’s face it, I’d be a terrible empty nester anyways!!
I remember FaceTiming my sister Heidi and telling her my new realization. She said, “Josie, your daughter can come and work out in DC! She can have a little apartment somewhere and I’ll teach her how to use the metro.” Well clearly I didn’t like that idea too much because although you dream of your children living independently, I don’t necessarily want them THAT far away! But honest to Pete, the very next day after our conversation, the Facebook page I follow and highly recommend, “A Mighty Girl”, posted a story about Kayla McKeon. She was the first registered Washington lobbyist with Down Syndrome! In this article Kayla talked about having an apartment in DC, her roommate, and how she needed a little help at first figuring out the metro system.
“Don’t limit her.”
I just couldn’t believe it! Literally what Heidi was telling me the day before was already being lived out dang near word for word by this amazing woman. I was unaware that so many people with Down Syndrome can go to college and live independently that I started crying again at the thought of my baby leaving me some day! The more I learned, the more I realized I was putting limits on my unborn baby before she even got here! And that didn’t sit well with me! I don’t want anyone to limit my girls, but here I was doing it myself! I try really hard not to feel guilty about my thoughts and fears because they came from a place of lack of knowledge.One of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou is “when you know better, you do better.” And man almighty do I know better now!
So my sweet Maya, if you stay with us (
) or live independently () I will always cherish being able to show you the world and having you smack dab between daddy and me!
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