Paving The Way

I'm currently reading a fiction novel titled Jewel about a child born with Down syndrome in Mississippi in the mid 1900's.  In the novel, the mother is told that the child is a "Mongolian Idiot" and should be institutionalized.  She refuses.  As any mother can imagine, I wept during that part of the novel.


As the day honoring the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. comes to a close, I want to share again my favorite quote.  It is my favorite of all time, not just my favorite of Dr. King's. 

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

I know men and women who have truly lived this quote.  Who are they?

•   They are moms and dads. 
•   Their children are no longer children.
•   Their children were born at a time when medicine did not understand that nature and nurture     should not be opposite of each other in a versus situation. 
•    Their children were diagnosed and written off as failures. 
•    They were told things that were impossible for any doctor to know: 
• Your child will never walk. 
• Your child will never talk. 
• Your child will die before the age of 2, 5, 10. 
• Put your child in an institution because you do not have the tools to care for him. 
•     They said "no, you will not take my child from me." 
•    They said "no, you do not know what he can accomplish."
•    They took their child home, loved him, taught him, and if the worst happened and the child died young, they mourned and never forgot.    
•    They became advocates.  They knew that a brighter future was possible.
•    They paved the way for Trent, other children, other moms, and me.   

How can I ever repay something like that?  Will promising to carry the torch be enough?  Because I do promise that. 

Although this love letter goes out to all parents that have paved the way, I especially want to thank those moms in our local support group.  While you are cooing over our small ones and remembering when your son or daughter was that small, I am standing in awe of what you have accomplished.  I am measuring you by where you stood at your moments of controversy and challenge, and I am deciding that you are one of my heroes.   Thank you.