Rubbing Elbows with Heaven

Sep 28, 2008   //   by Rick Dancer   //   Blog  //  No Comments

Saturday we joined some local folks on the Buddy Walk to celebrate those with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome, to me, is not a disability but a special ability. It was so refreshing to be with my friends, who do not judge me based on what I know but based on my heart. God tells us to come to Him as a child. In other words, lose the attitude and take people for who they are. Those I know with Down Syndrome don’t have to work at this they do it naturally. When I’m with them I feel like I’m within a whisper of God. Thanks for inviting me to join you.

No Comments

  • Ben September 28, 2008 at 10:29 pm

    I did a story this week on a family with a child who’s living with Down syndrome… and it was strange to see their attitude. They were talking about this great mourning period and how difficult it was to accept that their child was different. I had a hard time figuring out what to do with the story, so I flipped the camera screen on the little girl (Sofia was her name) and she just lit up and started singing. She just needed a familiar face (her’s) to open her up a little bit in front of the stranger with the tv camera. She sang and sang and sang… it was this unbelievable moment. I wish I could’ve put the whole thing in my pkg. But I thought of Amelia, and I see all of those kids in those pictures and just smile.

    To even get a sense of what it looks like to see the world through God’s eyes… how glorious.

  • Penny Green September 29, 2008 at 2:19 am

    Thanks for your comment about people with Down’s Syndrome.

    It’s nice to find someone who can see beyond the label and realise the true worth of these individuals.

  • Rick Dancer September 29, 2008 at 5:16 am

    It’s not hard to do is it Penny. If people just looked beyond their own fear they’d find some of the most wonderful souls. I had such a great time on Saturday. It really gives you a reality check.

  • Gail Udell September 29, 2008 at 9:10 am

    Rick – I can’t thank you enough for coming out Saturday. Your words were so moving. I think you are able to really help folks on the “outside” understand how much our children and friends who have Down syndrome enrich our lives. My own daughter has opened my eyes, and helped me to be a much better mother to both of my girls than I likely would have been.

    To Ben – just about all parents that recieve a diagnosis of Down syndrome (and probably many other disabilities) prenatally or postnatally experience a sense of mourning to some degree. You have this idea in your head of what life for you child will be, and then your told it won’t. With time, and for me research into the realities, you move past that. I would give anything to talk to that person I was at 19 months pregnant. Not only is everything “OK” it’s better than I could have imagined. A poem that describes it pretty well is Welcome to Holland: http://www.listen-up.org/edu/holland.htm

Leave a comment