I've been draggy all day and not even my daily skinny caramel macchiato could touch it. So just because it rained for about five minutes today, I gave myself permission to pretend that I had the rainy-day sleepyhead disease that overtakes your body like the flu. I let myself lay in bed since I returned home from my internship watching newscast after newscast about Casey Anthony. Switching over to something a little more uplifting, I decided to look at my favorite blog, Kelle Hampton's Enjoying the Small Things, for some inspiration. I stumbled upon a link that she had that led to a BYU channel's Inspiring Stories, that included her own. There are three amazing stories of people people who took something that created so much hardship and made beauty out of it. These three stories are so worth your twenty minutes, plus you can learn more about Kelle who everyday, through her blog entries, makes Down Syndrome so realistic and normal for myself and her many readers. I love the stories and you need to watch them... with tissues.
Kelle is such an amazing blogger and it's evident through her 13,000+ followers. I think what I love about her are not only her beautiful pictures (she is a professional photographer), but also the fluency of her words and how she can make you feel as if you, too, were experiencing everything she is experiencing. She is amazing and her work for Down Syndrome astounds me. Her daughters are precious and I think anyone who reads her blog or sees her story instantly becomes sucked into reading her words for a daily dose of inspiration.
While doing research today at my internship to get dance groups and cheerleading groups to come to the NYC Buddy Walk, which is September 24th, I found another documentary and I wrote down the title and decided to watch it tonight. It's about a group of individuals with Down Syndrome who make up Company 'd' and literally take your breath away at their optimism, strength, courage, and abilities.
Take the time to watch this 15-minute documentary, too, about Company 'd', but be ready for the fireworks.
So often I hear people using the word 'retarded' or see people feel uncomfortable around those with any disability. Recently, a friend of mine wrote me about a child that she has in her camp where some of her fellow counselors don't know how to interact with the child and therefore avoid her. People with disabilities are just like you and me. They have feelings and experience the same things we experience. While I do know a lot more and have a stronger connection to autism, this summer has opened my eyes further to the possibilities of those with disabilities. I am so fortunate to be having this opportunity and to be learning more about acceptance and what it means to love.
I've put this on the blog before, but I think it again echoes my point, as do the other documentaries I've posted tonight.
I hope to be able to teach adults to see disabilities through the eyes of a child. Young children are some of the most accepting of others and its beautiful. Also check out and follow Kelle's blog, for its humbling beauty and strength that it presents. Encourage others to stop the "R" word and instead demonstrate respect.
Anna Beth comes tomorrow and I'm pumped to see her!
Happy Wednesday!
Carrie Dobbins
A taste of what I'll be making for the National Down Syndrome Society this year-- this is last year's video
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