Zoey's Big Sister Taylor Here :)

Hi, Zoey’s big sister Taylor here ☺

Oh, Miss Zoey Grace…
I look at her as perfectly imperfect. Not imperfect ... but you know what I mean. Perfectly imperfect and she just happens to have Down syndrome. That doesn’t make her any less beautiful, or any less important. In fact it makes here MORE beautiful, MORE important. More loving, more caring, more compassionate, more innocent than any of us will ever be. When I look into her eyes, at her smiling face, I don’t see Down syndrome. I only see a happy, loving child.
To know that anyone, let alone 85-90% of people who find out they are having a baby with Down syndrome abort, is unfathomable to me. To know that in other countries, such as Russia, children born with Down syndrome are institutionalized after just 4 years of life, is unfathomable to me. To know that people will look at Zoey, or look at anyone with a disability and judge, is unfathomable to me. Quite frankly, none of those people know what they are missing. I feel sorry for them, because they will never be blessed to experience the love of one of these children.
So, as all of you know already, October is the month to “Get it Down” and learn more about Down syndrome (actually I’m quite proud of this, since my birthday is in October☺). So what is there to say about my little Zo-Muffin who has been blessed with Down Syndrome? That’s right, blessed. Actually, the better question is, what is there not to say? There are so many reasons I am inspired by this girl. And isn’t that amazing if you think about it? That a 1 ½ year old little darling, has inspired me more that any peers or adults I’ve met in my 17 years of life? That really says something. I guess the word for it is, grateful. So very grateful. Yeah, we all could’ve done without the medical issues. But I can confidently say that each person who has come into contact with Zoey, has been touched, whether by a wave a church, a smile at the park, or by one of her lovely wet ‘n slobbery kisses. She has touched more people in her little time here on earth that most of us will EVER hope to. In my eyes, that is just absolutely amazing.
Alright, here’s a little story. There’s a boy at our church named Christopher. He’s 17 and happens to have Down syndrome. One day after church his parents told us a story. They were away for their anniversary before Christopher was born, in fact, before she was even pregnant with Christopher. They were in a store and were walking around separately, doing their own thing. After a few minutes, they walked back to each other. The mom said, “Oh I just saw the cutest little Down Syndrome boy!” Her husband looked at her and said, “That’s so funny, I saw him too and was just about to tell you the same thing.” They both felt such a pull towards this little boy. And soon after that, she became pregnant with Christopher. I love this story, because I think it speaks so much to what people with Down syndrome, of any age, bring to this world. Christopher’s parents felt a connection to that little boy for a reason. There was something special about him. People with Down syndrome radiate joy and they give a special, one of a kind type of love.
Personally, I couldn’t even begin to tell you all how Zoey has specifically changed my life, my way of thinking, and my way of viewing the world. She has showed me what real strength is. More importantly, she has shown me what real love is. If I’m ever upset, or I’m having a bad day, I can walk over to her and she’ll flash me one of those, one of a kind smiles and I can take a deep breath and say, ok, things aren’t really that bad are they? They can’t be, if she’s over there with that big smile. As Zoey continues to grow older, I can only imagine what she will accomplish. My sisters and I have always said, “You know what Mom? If Zoey never talks or does other things, she can just sit there and smile and we’ll all be content.” And you know, that’s really true. Maybe she won’t walk, maybe she won’t talk for a while. But what will she know how to do? She will know how to smile. And, she will know, better than any of us, how to love. What else could anyone really ask for…