To Parents Who Wonder If Your Child With a Disability Will Be Like You

I watched a young family today. They were hesitantly sharing the news of their new baby. That baby has Down syndrome.

Your hopes and dreams when you first find out you’re pregnant are often hopes that your child will be just like you. Or perhaps better than you. Will they be smarter, stronger, or more athletic than you?

When you find out your child may have disabilities, it throws you into the unexpected. It can be scary, frightening and fearful.

But what if these children do represent the best of us?

What if our children with disabilities do have the best parts of us?

What if they have the kindness in our hearts? The patience that is deep in our soul? And the overflowing love we didn’t know we were capable of?

All children have gifts and strengths. All children have talents and abilities. As with any child, it is your job as a parent to find those strengths and talents, and to nurture and grow them.

My child has an amazingly pure heart. He wants simply to make people smile, laugh, and enjoy their day. He wants to have fun, feel successful, and be included.

Sometimes our children are the very best part of us, especially when they reveal their hearts so pure and their love so deep.