We are half way there

Now that I am half way through the 31-for-21 Challenge, I can definitely say that this experience of blogging every day to promote awareness for Down syndrome in honour of my daughter-to-be has had a huge positive impact on my life.  I would go as far as to say it has dramatically changed my life permanently for the better.  I wanted to keep this little secret to myself, because I do not want to disrupt the 'magic' of what has been happening to me and my family on a daily basis.  The truth is, every day Dan or I, or both, are approached by someone new who has read this blog.  We might receive an email, or Facebook message, or text from someone different who sees this blog and has something positive to say.  Some share their stories and information about Down syndrome, while others offer support and encouragement in whatever way they can.  The connections are endless, and always meaningful.  Continually through this experience, I have seen so clearly the goodness in people and how much people really do care.
My brother-in-law's sister connected me on Facebook with a mother in Revelstoke, B.C., who gave birth to a beautiful little boy with Down syndrome.  The mother's experience was much different from mine in that they found out their son had Down syndrome at the time he was born, and then discovered he had a small hole in his heart.  He is 14 months now - very close to Ariel's age - and it has been amazing to connect with her -a parent of a child with Down syndrome - and ask the questions that only a parent of a child with Down syndrome could really answer for me.
Tonight, my grade 1 teacher colleagues organized a wonderful dinner as a chance for us to reconnect after my somewhat abrupt disappearance from work.  Again, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that some of them had read my blog, and were following my story when I had never directly sent them the link.  The message had spread.   As I was getting ready to leave tonight's gathering, my friend's words stood out clearly in my mind.  She said, "We couldn't just let you go out like that.  That is no way to celebrate having a baby!"  And she was right.  The right way to celebrate having a baby is to be happy and recognize the significance of life, and of bringing new life into this world.  Writing this blog has been a way for me to celebrate both of my daughters on a daily basis, and to express my unconditional love for them.  I hope these positive feelings and message of a mother's unconditional love for her child will continue to reach as many people as possible.  I no longer see having a child with Down syndrome as something to be afraid of.  It is not something to be sad about.  Having a child is something to be celebrated!

We may be half way to the finish of the 31-for-21 Challenge, but we are a million miles away from where we started.  And there's still a long ways to go.