Thursday, October 4, 2012

Day 4 - Down Syndrome Awareness Month!


Day 4 – Down Syndrome Awareness Month! 

Last Spring, every morning on the way to school the girls and I watched for the Canadian Geese that rested in the big field at the Middle School.  Being me, I started teaching them about the Geese – their journey and why they might have settled in a field in Camarillo, CA.  When it was warm enough, the geese stopped coming and the girls knew that the geese had moved on to home in Canada and that Spring was definitely on the way.  But then a small group; about five, landed in the field coming in late and on their own.  The girls wanted to know why they were here, for what reason would they come back…and on and on.  So I started another lesson on geese.  I told them that sometimes when a goose is too ill to fly a group will land with it to protect it and take care of it until the afflicted goose either gets better and they all leave together or the goose dies and the others then go on without it.  We talked about the beauty of how they never leave each other - how they always stick together.   From there we discussed aerodynamics, how the geese take turns leading the "V" to let each rest and draft off each other; making flying for the sick goose a little easier. 

I thought I was trying to get a message across to them about sticking together and to (PLEASE) stop fighting so much.  But it wasn’t until this morning… here in October when I took them to school the five geese were back.  Beautiful…sitting there like this is their favorite stop over, like they were waiting to say hello to us.  I thought all about them the rest of the day, and then something dawned on me…I didn’t even get the real message I was teaching until now…I pray that the girls will get it someday too. 
Because here it is:  This family, US – We, we are the geese.  We are that little band of five that are sticking together, staying with each other through illness, through so much that has gone so wrong.  Like those geese, we’ve taken a rest and have stopped here in Camarillo…gathered in a circle while we take care of our little goose…while we nurse him back to health, while we help him get stronger and help him get his wings to work.  Unlike the geese, I don’t know if we’ll move on from here or if this “pond” will represent home for us…but I do know this:  We will never leave one of ours behind; we will rally around him and help him to heal.  We will survive every test, every needle, and every scalpel as long as we stick together.   When we need heart, we’ll let the ten year old lead our flight, when we need laughter our eight year old, strength will be Dad…and me…when they are tired, there is always me to take the lead. 
And when we are low and we need hope, Bradley can take the lead; for in his heart, he creates hope and that carries all of us. 

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