That which is broken

I found myself in the company of a book over the weekend.  This book is written by a parent of a son with Down syndrome.  Her son is grown and in his thirties and she decided to write a book to parents from a parent.  While I find a lot of helpful information in this book, I have also found some information that I don't agree with or that just doesn't pertain to my and Cora's journey.  This is with any good book.  There are parts you like and feel and parts that you walk away from.

In one part of the book she says that her son is broken to other people but to her she sees a whole person.  To her he is not broken.  I feel like that might not be a good thing.  Let me explain....

I have been approached by people  when I have Cora in my arms and when they are confronted with the fact that Cora was born with Down syndrome they are sometimes (more often than not) apologetic about this.  Like I somehow ended up with the wrong Christmas present or I was somehow given a  goldfish instead of the puppy that everyone else gets.  Or I received a gift that malfunctions, one that is broken.

Cora is not a child that was born and then broke.  She was born broken.  What an absolute blessing for her.  What?! Keep hanging in there....

Do you remember the bible story from when we were children and it talks about the Fishes and the Loaves of Bread?  The one where the disciples took the basket from the little boy and fed the masses with a few loaves of bread and a few fish.  There were over 4000 people in that crowd and every one of them were fed and left with the feeling of self-empowerment for having heard Jesus' talk and share his view of life with them.  Many of those people were broken.  Many of them were broken to the point of feeling as though they could not be broken further.  Many of them were at the end of their rope, their personal bottom,  BROKEN.  Yet, when the bread was broken it gave blessings.  Because it was willing to be broken so that others could be blessed.

If your not willing to be broken then you cannot be blessed.  Some of the greatest people have been incredibly broken at some point in their life.  How wonderful it is that Cora was born broken!   To think that she was willing to be born broken, to be born with Down syndrome so that she could be blessed and bless others....what a huge gift for those that know her.  Because I don't know many people who would honestly say they are willing to be broken so that a blessing can be received.  In my eyes, that makes her pretty honorable and special...in a blessed way.