Wednesday, January 7, 2009

From Sunflowermom

SunFlower Mom posted this and I'm going to post it here so people that see my blog will get to read it.This is so beautiful it brings tears to my eyes.
I love all of my children but there is something different and stronger that I feel for Ruby.

"Always Reaching" written by a father of a child with Down Syndrome:
From the STL DS Newsletterby Matthew’s Dad

Every time I see my son, I reach for him.
It doesn’t matter if he rounds the corner 4 seconds after I have seen him last, or if I am picking him up from school and have not seen him for hours…I reach for him.
I can be 1 foot away or 100 feet away…I reach for him just the same.
I reach for him with my arms, with my eyes, with my heart.
I wonder sometimes what I am reaching for.
I have seen this in other people when they see my son.My family, my friends and perfect strangers. They all reach for him.
I see the same movements, the same gestures, the same need to hold out their hands for him. They want him to come to them, some know him and some don’t. Some call his name and others just motion for him. But they all seem to want him to come.For a moment, you can see his spirit reflected in their faces. I watch the smiles grow across their faces with a fullness that is unavoidable.When he falls into their arms (which is what he does to everyone), I see a momentary peace envelop them, and their eyes close, they pull him in and they experience what I call “The Joy of Matthew”.He gives it to you. He wraps you in it. He wriggles and squirms and mashes the love into you. If you did not know what to expect, you may be surprised and find yourself amazed at the feeling, overwhelmed at the emotion he carries with him.
I am lucky. I get to hold him all the time.And I have been able to think about that feeling and where it comes from and what it may mean. I think Matthew is a window through which we see a pureness of emotion… pure happiness, pure sorrow, pure joy and pure love.Despite what some may think, our special children are closer to God than we are. We see so much in them that we lack. We wish quietly in so many ways that we could be more like them. And when we hold them, if just for a moment, we feel closer to God.That must be why I am always reaching for my son.
That must be why they all reach for him

5 comments:

SunflowerStories said...

Glad to see this shared here, I think it should be included in Gifts II. So perfectly worded.

Jill said...

I LOVE this! This is SO TRUE!!

Anonymous said...

This post comes at a very poignant time in my life when my husband and I stand on a crossroad about Gabriel's hugging and kissing his peers.

Jeanette said...

This was beautiful. I too know this feeling... in my world it is the "Love of Sydney".

Cheryl said...

SunflowerMom said...
Glad to see this shared here, I think it should be included in Gifts II. So perfectly worded.

I think your right,this would be perfect in Gift II !