Friday, October 12, 2007

You Gotta Have Friends (and sisters!)

This post is dedicated to my friends. Like my sweet daughter, I am a product of inclusion as well. As important as it is for her to have friends who are "typical" and friends who have a little extra just like her, it is also important for me to have the same.

This week, my friends, Camille and Carol, who both have daughters with Trisomy 21 have shown up at my house, a full meal prepared and delivered to our family. Its wonderful to have friends like them who have been just where our family is right now - taking it day by day, grateful for the good days, and getting through the not so good ones.

With them, there are no airs necessary - no judgment calls, no need to explain - simply the need to be. Carol always tells me that her daughter Livee can tell how much I love her, that she "gets" that I see her as perfect and whole and amazing just as she is. And there's something to that - I know just what she means.

And Camille - well, if I needed her, I wouldn't get the phone hung up before she would be at my door.

I hope these two friends of mine know I would do the same for them in a moment.

This weekend, a whole group of my online friends, all whom have kids with Trisomy 21 are meeting in Indiana for a real life get together. I wish I could be there with them, many of them I've known since either Paige or their little ones were born. But just having them all in the same place, celebrating this wonderful life we live, will give us all strength.

And two other friends of mine, both named Julie, have been invaluable to me this week. One Julie has loaned me her van to transport Paige to the hospital - no small task when she is wheelchair bound right now.

My other friend, Julie - well, her sole task in The Adventure of The Body Cast is to keep me sane. She is assigned to making me leave the house for MommyTAG (Tim Horton's and Gossip) every week, and for just stopping by to hang out once in a while.

She has checked in with me every day, just chatted, and kept me normal. Well, as normal as I've ever been! She even helped fend off my psychotic neighbor who came bursting through my front door the other day.

And...my sister - 250 miles away - who immediately steps into "what do you need" mode whenever anything goes wrong. Several times a day we email each other back and forth, and keep in touch with one another. I miss her, and wish we weren't so far apart from one another. I'm so proud of her, and so happy the good Lord gave her to me as a sister. Otherwise, I would have had to hand pick her as a friend.

This one's for all of you...



2 comments:

Camille said...

Hey!!! Cooking for you and your family is nothing. I am the lucky one; so many of your web friends come on my blog and tell me how they envy me because I live so close to you. I am sure that if they physically could, Betsy girl, you would have delivered cooked meals for at least half of the year!!! Glad Paige and Emma got to see each other today!
Love ya!!!!

Shelley said...

Hey - I am always banging on about how lucky and blessed I am to have the wonderful faily and friends that I do. Still ... if only Camille lived a bit more south - nearer the equator! Your post was great - I know exactly what you mena. Good friends, family - where would be be without each other?