Thankful...and then some

This Thanksgiving there was so much to be thankful for.  Thankful isn't enough to describe how we feel for our family and friends, especially how you've all carried us through the past year and what we hope to be the hardest part of this journey.  Thankful isn't close to enough to describe how we feel for our kids...Jackson and his spunky spirit, Olivia and her melt-your-heart smile, Luke and his angel-like disposition. 

There is one thing, however, that I am most grateful for as we navigate our way through Luke's diagnosis:  that we're not experiencing this journey back when children like Luke were institutionalized and given no chance or opportunities to succeed.  The thought of it just about makes me jump out of my skin.  I am thankful for women like Bridget Brown, who spoke at the National Association for Down Syndrome conference that Pete and I attended last weekend.  She is a charming, articulate, beautiful 24-year-old who happens to have Down syndrome.  Among her many achievements, she is a self-advocate and public speaker. She spoke in front of a room of hundreds of adults better than even I could.  She had us laughing and crying (or in my case, sobbing).  She gave a lovely PowerPoint presentation which included photos of her numerous activities, photos with many of her high school classmates, and even a photo of her with Miley Cyrus after she played a role in a new movie of hers.  She discussed inclusion (something that was unheard of not too long ago) and the role it played in her many accomplishments.  Being included in the same classes and activities as her "typical developing" peers, without question, had an impact that has gone far beyond the classroom or school setting. 

So this Thanksgiving, I thought about where we could be and where we are...where Luke could be and where he is.  Though there are still improvements to be made, I am thankful for the opportunities which Luke will be given compared to the complete lack of opportunity years ago.  I am thankful, and then some, for someone like Bridget Brown who paves the way for little Lukey and others in his shoes.  We definitely had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!