Pushing the little boys around in the cart, Avery sits in the seat near me and Bennett is in the front with the groceries–a gallon of milk, yogurt, cheese. Bannanas, apples, tomatoes. Bread. Both boys are wearing their white T-shirts with the blue and yellow Buddy Walk logo on the front.
Families pass us and without even realizing it, I scan faces. I see Down syndrome everywhere; I can’t help it. A child laughs and squints his eyes and giggles and I think, Hmmm? I see a little tongue dart out of a baby’s mouth, and I think, Maybe? Or a white T-shirt, Is that blue and yellow on the front?
And then I remember, no. We’re not at the Buddy Walk anymore; we’re back to real life. But it’s like a pleasant little dream I don’t want to let go of: a time and a place where families like ours are expected, and accepted.
Just look at like you are an awesome ambassador famiy to lead the vanguard of that acceptance!
Glad to hear the walk was wonderful…you didn’t say it but it oozes through. xoxo
Our Buddy Walk is October 6th. Chris Burke will be there!
It will be our first! We’re really looking forward to it.
By the way, Jennifer, I’d love to get your reaction to my latest blog post. Have a minute?
I catch myself doing that too after DS events. I hope that walk was fun – it sounds like it might have been.
Thank you, Niksmom. I hope we were all those things, but I fear we weren’t…just a tired mom and her kids, shopping…
Beth, I’m headed over right now…
And Melissa, it was wonderful. My only complaint: it seemed to end too fast, but that was no one’s fault at all, the time just flew by.
Wouldn’t it be nice if ALL people were accepted and welcomed. Buddy Walks and conferences are the only place where we feel ‘normalized’ because our family is no longer in the minority…
Although, who wants to be normal, anyhow? Normal is boring.
We have our first walk on October 27th. I am so excited…and so nervous. I have no idea what to expect. We’ve been bowling with our state group and it was amazing to feel so much acceptance…so much love.
♥