Tuesday, June 29, 2010

We Came Here Alone


I remember the first time I came to Blogland. I don't, however remember how I got here. I believe God gently lead me here. He knew this is where I needed to be. For me... and for Him.

I came alone. No family around me. I wondered in when everyone was away doing there own thing. I came out of curiosity. I wanted to see how people lived. People afflicted with Ds. Yes I just said afflicted. When I came here, I didn't actually want to be here. I didn't want to be in this "world".

I didn't have very high hopes for my baby or for the future of our family. I expected everything to come crumbling down with her birth. I would try to conjure up ways out of this unacceptable situation we were in. Part of me came here to find the truth. The truth as I thought it was. That families who had a child with Ds could not possibly be as happy as they tried to make themselves out to be. I came here looking for the families who were miserable. Whose lives were ruined. Whose happiness was a thing of the past.

I couldn't find them. Where were they? Where were the people like me? The miserable, scared, freaked out people. Surly I was not the only one!

Instead, I found happy, beautiful families, with equally, happy and beautiful children, all sporting that extra chrom.

But, as I read deeper into the lives of these families I came to learn that these were the people like me. These were the miserable , scared, freaked out people! I found them!!!! But there was something different about them.
Just as I came here, alone, looking for answers, so most of you did too. But the answers were not what we expected. They were far from what I expected!!

The answers came from families with infants and toddlers and teens even adults with Ds. The answers came from families with healthy children, children battling cancer, children awaiting heart surgery, children in remission, children learning sign language, adults making there way in this world, little ones just starting school and teenagers graduating from High school. And the answers were the same from everyone! The answers I found were, Hope, and blessings, and joy. Unconditional love, and feelings I can't even put into words.


And these feelings overwhelmed me. And the miserable, scared , freaked out part of me grew smaller and smaller, until I couldn't find it anymore.
And I decided I wanted to stay here in Blogland. I wanted to share my experiences and feelings with others. I showed my family what I found and took them on a tour. And they liked it too.

Not every day is happy and perfect in Blogland, there are days of heartache and tragedy. There are days you just don't feel like it. Days you don't want to hear another little one is fighting for their life, or needs yet another surgery, or just has the doctors bewildered. Blogland is not a fairytale, it's a real place with real people. Don't let that scare you away. Because it's in those difficult times that we find our bond is unbreakable.

And although we enter Blogland one at a time for various reasons, it seems we all stay for one important reason. To help others, to encourage and support. To welcome! To spread the word about the "magic".


Blogland is getting bigger and bigger. I see new people arrive almost daily. All with so much to offer. All experiencing the magic..



27 comments:

Michelle said...

what a beautifully written post!

missy said...

You never cease to amaze me...that was just beautiful bud. love you! xo

my family said...

love your post,it is so true.If we made a difference in one person's life it is worth is.

Anonymous said...

Stephanie,
You are a beautiful writer and person. You are helping, touching, and inspiring more people than you know. Keep up that passion and know you are helping people as much as they are helping you.

LF

MyBulletinBoard said...

Blogland has some nice citizens. I'm so glad you and your family live here! We have a picture of "our" computer grandchild on the desktop showing off her new teeth a couple of days ago. She's a honey. . . . . . . Our little guy just finished watching Herbie Rides Again for the umpteenth time. I'm sure we'll see White Christmas later on -- we do Christmas all year!! Why not?? Gotta go fix breakfast. ~Liz

Becca said...

Another huge smile on my face this morning. You said it perfectly, and echoed my own Blogland story. Beautiful post.

Kim said...

I love this post! You are always able to write the words that I can never seem to express. So glad to be apart of your blog world!!

B. McKenzie said...

great post. I am so grateful to be apart of the magic too. Keep bloggin!

Michelle said...

So true.

Kristen's mom said...

What an amazing place to be! I too have found much comfort.

Carrie said...

Great post--we love Blogland over here too.

Thanks for being one of the people that have helped me move out of the scared, miserable place! <3

Jeana said...

I'm so glad you found it, decided to stick around, and found me. You have helped so many like me, searching for the same thing you were looking for and finding something so much better. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful kids with us all!

Runningmama said...

Oh, I couldn't agree with you more! All of you are an extension of my family!

Anne and Whitney: Up, Down and All Around said...

GREAT post and SO TRUE!

Anonymous said...

New to your blog! A beautiful post! sssooooo very truue! i am so grateful for all the bloggers out there who guide me, catch me when I fall and lift me up...your daughter is perfect!

Kelli said...

Perfect post. We are happy to have found the support and encouragement along with all the cute pictures in blogland. Glad we found each other.

Kelly said...

Perfectly stated!! And truly enjoying the MAGIC:) So happy to be part of this supportive community!!

Rochelle said...

Oh Stephanie this is a great post. Brought tears to my eyes. It is so awesome to have this wonderful T21 bloggy family and to feel so close to people that you may never even meet.
What a blessing not only to each other but for those to come...
amazing
Love you guys!

Lacey said...

I'm so grateful to have met you. Thanks for being such a great friend and always being there for us!!
Mmmwwwaaahhhh

Lori said...

What a lovely post...So glad I get to be a part of your "Family" =)

To Love Endlessly said...

beautiful post! next time, warn us to have a box of tissues nearby! I wandered here alone too and love what I've found!

Bulldogma said...

And you are just one reason I love blogland :o)

Mom Of Many said...

So well said...I heard your heart..and I'm so glad I found you and your sweet treasures!! xo

Amy Flege said...

great post. i came to blogging the same way you did... so you are not alone!

Tina said...

How beautiful was that, you spoke for me yet again. It's funny but so often when you write I feel that you have gone inside my brain and are just expressing for me, only so much more eloquently than I could ever have done.

So happy to have found you and your beautiful family. Thanks for opening your life up for us and bringing your little angel into our lives. Once someone has entered this Blogland I don't think they can ever leave, because of the wonderful friends we make here and as you said this place is so real, and it's through these ups and downs that we find ourselves more and more inseparable.

The VW's said...

Beautifully written!!! And, all so true! I'm so blessed to have met you in this wonderful world of blogging! Love and Hugs!!!

Pallavi said...

Beautiful Post...
I feel the same way...
So happy to be here in this lovely blogland..