Extra Compassion Gene

I saw this picture posted on a popular facebook page and it instantly hit me, like a 2x4 board straight to the side of the head, this could be talking about a person who was born with Down syndrome!

My Cora often displays the ability to love without expectations.  She doesn't care how you look or what are you doing, if she feels you are in the need of a hug she is going to hug you.  When she sees someone crying she instantly shows compassion, will sigh heavily and sign "Sad".  She doesn't hug the person while looking for a reward or word of gratitude, she doesn't expect it, she gives freely the love and compassion she feels for another human being who is visibly in distress.

Cora, despite many things I have read about children and people with Down syndrome, does not display any manipulative behaviors. ( Behaviors that often focus on the acquirement of some item and a calculated way of behaving to acquire said item.)  She doesn't manipulate me into getting her own way.  I have found that Cora very deliberately makes sure I have eye contact with her while she signs her want/need for me and then waits for my answer.  If is say "no", as a typical three year old she will ask again.  "No" is again her answer.  This may happen three or four times, but eventually we will arrive at the agreed upon answer and Cora will move on to something else.  She behaves like my other children did when they were three years old.

In my third book (Uplifting Down syndrome - K.K. Head (amazon.com) I write about the experience I had with Cora in the restaurant shortly after her birth.  In seeing that posted picture I was again reminded of the encounter, about heaven on earth.


Living without expectations, calculations and specific ideas of how things should happen and need to happen is definitely living within heaven on earth. By doing this, we are practicing the art of letting go of EGO.  An accepted acronym for the word EGO = Edging God Out.  When we become focused on our own gains, instead of how we might give to another, we edge any spiritual growth or blessings out of our lives.

Is there a situation in your life you need to let go of?  Are you running around banging your head up against a wall trying to MAKE things happen instead of having faith that what needs to happen will?  Do you live with expectations, calculating your next move, negotiating the move of others around you?  Do you manipulate things, fighting and trying to achieve a certain end result?

If so, take a lesson from Cora and that beautiful third chromosome that I have come to believe is the compassion -nonjudgmental-love-acceptance gene and just let go.  Live in the moment, instead of planning for it, and see how much your life starts to feel like heaven on earth.

Love and Blessings,
K.K. Head
go to :  facebook.com/thegiftedchoice   for daily inspiration.

Life Changing View

World Down Syndrome day has come and gone again.  Another year passed and another year spent advocating and raising awareness for Cora's future.  The passing of World Down syndrome day every year has taken on a new meaning for me.

You see, a little over three years ago I didn't even know this day and this kind of world wide celebration existed.  But alas, it did and it does.


Recently we went to the World Down Syndrome day celebration.  To get there we had to drive three hours, one way, to attend the party.  Offering Cora the opportunity to play and be around children who are like minded is worth the six hours of driving time.  I watched Cora walking from one activity to the next and heard the many comments on how much she has grown and how great she is walking compared to last time everyone had seen her.  Her ability to adapt in an environment full of running, playing and yelling children had me standing in awe of her.  She adapted, climbed, walked, played and wrestled. 

Cora has reached milestones that many believed she would never achieve.  One thing this journey has taught me is; never count anyone out until they count themselves done.  Cora rarely, if ever, gives up on achieving what has gained her focus.

I have also learned this Down syndrome journey isn't one to be taken lightly.  If you don't want to grow emotionally, spiritually and, yes, even in your own maturity level, than it is not one for you to take.  If you are open and willing to the lessons your child with Down syndrome will offer you, than climb on and strap yourself in because it is going to be one heck of a ride.  Never a straight road, always twisting and turning, dipping and flowing, but always - yes always- ending up at the destination you wanted to arrive at.

You see, Cora continues to teach me that doing things the usual way, or the normal (detest that way of explanation) way ,even the expected way of achieving things, is truly not the only way.  She can achieve the required result with ten different ways of doing it and the end result usually involves laughter, levity and down right hysterical moments.  Yet, her attempts resulted in her achieving the exact goal that was needed from her.

How are you doing in your life today?  Are you achieving the result you desired while looking at all the possible ways you might achieve it?  Or are you fixated on one goal and one way of doing it and ,therefore, feel like you are butting your head against a wall.

I write in my new book about using the definition "Differently Abled" for Cora , rather than the traditional definition of "Dis Abled".  Maybe, right now in your life, the lesson is for you to become more "Differently Abled" to achieve your dreams, instead of "One kind of Abled".

Blessings,
Katrina
remember to visit our page on facebook and "like" it to keep up on our daily posts.
www.facebook.com/thegiftedchoice

Cora is helping her little niece choose toys.  Love the tenderness of Cora's heart and her willingness to share.