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.

32 comments

  1. May God bless your precious little nephew and I pray that everything turns out well for him and his family. Take care and stay strong. ♥

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  2. I never thought about praying for doctors and surgeons and nurses until a family member was sick. It's amazing how much our perspectives change when something is in front of us. This is such an inspiring reminder.

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  3. What a wonderful thing your sister and her husband are doing by bringing this little boy into a loving home where he can receive the love and attention he needs. I am always curious about adoption stories so I am gonna click on over.......

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  4. Beautiful post. And your sister sounds like a remarkable woman, much like you.

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  5. Your family is in my prays..... You never know what life brings you. My Son was in the Hospital two weeks ago for Stridor: This is the most concerning symptom of croup. Stridor is a harsh, raspy, whooping, gasping sound when your child breathes in.It was so scary ..But he is doing great now. But it makes you think. Make sure you love your loves ones with all your heart and be there for them. Your Nephew is soooooo cute .. Take care , your girls are strong woman ..you give me strength

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  6. beautiful. I care for an older man with down syndrome at the assisted living facility i work at, and I have grown to love both him and DS. But I too have felt similar feelings of guilt for not "caring" before, and not understanding the syndrome. I just have to remind myself that life is a learning process and a journey, and God will provide us with just the right amount of understand, love and grace when we need it the most.

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  7. Sending so many good thoughts your way! xo

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  8. A great post, I never really thought about it before today. -Hanna

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  9. i have a little cousin with Down Syndrome, and she really is the sweetest girl. I hope everything goes well with Cameron!

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  10. I need to be better about this too. But I hope you're not too hard on yourself. There is a lot of pain in the world and it's hard if not impossible to care about everything until you have a direct encounter with it.

    That being said, I'm really happy that people with special needs have more opportunities opening up them today than ever before. I think ten years ago, there probably wouldn't have been a model with down syndrome.

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  11. praying for sweet Cameron today! thank you for sharing his adoption story. as a momma who received a sweet baby girl in her arms, i know first-hand what a miracle that moment is!

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  12. Beautiful post. Keeping your nephew & family in my prayers!

    Love,

    LB

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  13. How lucky he is to have an aunt like you. Praying for you and your family during this time.

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  14. I hope that through reading this, myself and your other readers will become more aware as well :)

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  15. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and beautiful words! Sometimes I think we all need a little reminder to be more aware of others and their needs! You have a beautiful family and nephew :) I am also amazed at your sister and how much she has endured and how God's love is evident in her :) Hope all is well and your family is in our thoughts and prayers!

    xoxo,
    Shio

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  16. Beautiful post Alycia. So tender and heartfelt. First of all, your sister and her sweet family seem so lovely. I'm praying for a full recovery for precious Cameron and continued strength and courage for your sister, her husband and her boys. I also couldn't agree more regarding your observations on relevance and how it affects our care, compassion and attention. I think this is a naturally human response. What's beautiful is that we can learn from these experiences and allow them to touch us and improve our outlook and attitudes every day. They can open our hearts and minds to the needs of the world, and help us grow continually into people who love and give more deeply each day.

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  17. What a sweet little baby! Thanks for sharing, praying for your family and nephew!

    Shannon
    http://GBOfashion.com

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  18. Oh that is such a great story. Praying for your baby nephew and your family! And thank you for opening our eyes to the things that may go unnoticed in all of our worlds...little wake-me-ups are good :)

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  19. OH my goodness, what a heart wrenching post. My prayers go out to you and your family!

    xx
    Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

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  20. praying for your family! i think i remember who you are talking about from high school and they were so nice!

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  21. Very well said in the last paragraph. What a touching post. Thank you for sharing.

    Shauna

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  22. I pray for this little baby :( :(

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  23. God bless your nephew, your family, and you. You are wonderful and it should bring you no guilt that you weren't aware until it became relevant in your life...we can't possibly know all that's out there so we deal with what's on our plates in front of us, and that's OKAY. I think it's amazing that you have such a strong and caring family. :)

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  24. Beautiful. I absolutely have been feeling this very heavily on my heart lately, too- to be better for my husband, for my family, for my friends, but also for every single person I meet each day. What a sweet little baby, and what a beautiful person your sister is!

    xo

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  25. I will keep this little baby in my thoughts and prayers :(

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  26. sending love your way. i couldn't agree more, things unknown seem so far away until it reaches someone we love. learning and loving makes that distance smaller and smaller.

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  27. Wow I hope your nephew is ok. Keeping him in my thoughts and prayers! It's definitely not easy to start becoming educated on things that aren't in your little bubble ya know? I'm so bad at getting too wrapped up in my little world. This post is a good reminder to help others around you and try to understand things outside of your bubble.


    The House of Shoes

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  28. Well that made me cry. Beautifully written & very insightful.

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  29. He is such a SWEET baby!! I think I cried every single time Kira posted a picture on facebook... the idea of Mia having to go through something like this.... I admire Justin and Kira soooo much! They are such STRONG parents!

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  30. Cool post! My sister's first kid, lily has down syndrome and while it's a bit sad she is such a blessing to everyone who meets her and we couldn't imagine her any other way. She is now 3 and the sweetest little girl with a huge heart full of love and kindness. I am so glad that she's in my life because she has taught me that disabilities aren't anything to be scared of or weird about. Everyone is a child of God. :-)

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  31. This is so beautiful, Alycia. It makes me want to be better too. And what an inspiring amazing woman that your sister is.

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