I Wish I'd Known Then What I Know Now

I absolutely adored this post….thanks for bringing it here!
My brother’s fiancé has a daughter very much like Addison only she’s about 9, Addison reminded me very much of her, they even look alike. I shared it with her and she loved it too. The article really helped me gain insight and appreciation for both mom and daughter. What a privilege it is to be given such a beautiful little being in this world to care for, and who can teach us so much!

Excellent article — in many ways, my thoughts exactly. I have a daughter with Williams Syndrome, a fairly rare genetic disorder. She is now almost 21. She just graduated high school (modified curriculum) last May at age 20. She is taking driving lessons, but I doubt that she’ll ever be licensed. She will probably not go to college, and she will probably never work a full-time job. But she could work the right part-time job. She may never get married or live away from home, but maybe she will. She has a Facebook boyfriend who also has Williams Syndrome and who is also a Christian. She loves God joyously and proclaims that routinely on Facebook. Some aspects of social interaction are difficult for her, so she has few friends among her peers. But at the same time she empathizes with everyone, treats everyone as her best friend, and knows no strangers (a trait that was often a point of concern when she was smaller). I marvel at her love for life, her love for laughter, her love for her family, and her seemingly instant ability to charm almost anyone upon first meeting. (If I were a salesman dependent on cold calls, I’d take her with me and let her break the ice.) She is unique. She is a huge blessing. Sometimes my heart breaks for her when she faces situations that are beyond her ability to handle, and when she is hurting she has the largest tears and the poochiest lower lip you’ve ever seen (yes, she is familiar with the Patch the Pirate song about the Poochy Lip Disease). Like the mother whose article is linked above, I am very proud of all her accomplishments, which include some things we didn’t really expect she’d be able to do, but at the same time those accomplishments are irrelevant, because I love her for her. I think I became a much gentler parent because of her (the third of our four children). I am grateful.