relevance...

I have a lot of jumbled thoughts this morning, so I am not sure if any of this will even make sense.

It is interesting how we don't notice things until they become relevant in our own lives. For example, when my nephew got diagnosed with SMA. I had never heard of SMA before, and if someone had asked me to donate to the cause I probably would have handed over a dollar or something and not have given much thought into what the disease actually was. I am just being honest here. Now I know a lot about SMA, as well as other similar diseases, because it became relevant in my family's life.

At the end of last year my sister called to tell us that they had been chosen by a young couple to be the parent's of their son. The couple was very young and had, had a premature Down Syndrome baby. Seeing that my sister was already a mother to two little boys, one of which is special needs, they took some time thinking about if this decision was the best for their family. Throughout the week they had very spiritual experiences confirming that this was the right choice for them, that he was their son.

The night Kira called to say they were thinking of adopting him, Trevor and I sat in bed and started googling Down Syndrome. Sure we had each known some kids we went to school with, with Down Syndrome, but how much did I really know about it? How much did I care until it became relevant in my life? I learned new things about Down Syndrome that night, as we anticipated the possibly of our new family member.

The other day for work I supervised the students while they volunteered to do the hair and make up for a local boutique fashion show. One of the models was a young woman with Down Syndrome. I have actually not had an encounter with someone (adult) with Down Syndrome since high school, and now having a Down Syndrome nephew, I paid closer attention to her then I normally would.

She was so sweet. She kept on asking me if they had anything slimming because she was worried about her weight and looking good on stage, and my heart just melted. She was no different then any girl her age, concerned about looking good on stage, a true woman :)

But then I had flashes of guilt. Would I have paid as close attention to her if I didn't have a nephew with Down Syndrome? Would I have cared as much? With SMA and Down Syndrome I didn't have an interest in these things because they were not a relevant part of my life until now.

Last week my sweet nephew Cameron had open heart surgery. Babies with Down Syndrome are at an increased risk to have issues with their hearts. Cameron was born with several complications to his heart (he had a hole in his heart as well as no valves or chambers) They have known since he was born that he would need surgery. They had to wait until he gained enough weight and was healthy enough for the surgery, and my sister was very happy when they were finally able to proceed with the surgery. My sister has been doing updates on the surgery on her blog if you care to learn more!

I am so thankful for skilled surgeons who perform miracles everyday. For everything doctors have done for both my nephews, Evan and Cameron. For amazing family who shows support no matter what we are going through. For a sister who is a shining example of pure love, devotion, and dedication to her children. For my mother who is the type to take time out of her life to be there for her family. I am not a mother. Someday I hope to become one, and when I do, I hope to keep up the amazing examples I already have in my life and family.

Throughout this whole process I have been reminded that I need to be better. I want to be better. I want to be better at recognizing the needs of others and paying attention to those around me and in my community and become educated on what people are going through. I feel like if I pay better attention, I can serve those around me better. I want to care about everyone, not just the the things that are relevant to me.