Blasts of Motivation

I'm a pretty lazy laid-back person, most days. I mean, emotionally, I can get riled up with the best of them, but things that require actual physical effort sometimes get put on the back burner. You know, the usual stuff like...well, I'm not gonna say after all because BD would just use this post as evidence and then I wouldn't have a leg to stand on in the Court of Smith-Smith, so...

Sometimes, though, sometimes I just get motivated.

For example, BD looked in the cabinet under my bathroom sink the other day and KAPLOW! Organized. He shockingly asked how that happened. I'm sure he would have believed that little elves came in the night and did it much easier than her did when I told him what really happened.

So, with that in mind, lemme tell you what I've done with my latest burst.

I was at a seminar-group therapy type session thingee last weekend called "From Heartache to Hope." It was interesting. There were only about six of us there and it was only two hours and I don't know that most of us knew what to expect, but it did result in some interesting conversations. At one point, one of my fellow mamas mentioned that what I said about the mood change after Playette was born (woeful and non-congratulatory, at best) was helpful to her as a Labor and Delivery nurse. She encouraged me to contact our community hospital and offer myself for outreach opportunities.

That I did. I don't know why I hadn't done so earlier.

So I called that hospital along with the 4 others within an hour of our house.

People do this all the time. Raise awareness of Ds amongst medical professionals. Serve as resources for families dealing with a new diagnosis.

Why not me? (Lord knows I've spent enough time saying "Why me?" Time for a change, maybe?)

At the forefront of my mind is the Sanchez family's "I Did It" campaign. Playette wears her shirt proudly. And every time she does, I am reminded that somewhere someone is reading a copy of Gifts 2 and learning the positive impact that people with Ds can have on the lives of the people that love them (just like any other family member or friend, really, but people seem to need to be informed/reminded of that when it comes to Ds...no judgment, I was there once).

BTW, the Sanchez family is adopting another child with Ds, Sofia, from Eastern Europe. Have you heard? There's a big fundraiser coming up. Learn more here.

You know, this outreach thing isn't easy. People aren't exactly opening the door to me, telling me to come on in. They're skeptical. They're not returning phone calls. They think I'm calling asking them for help instead of me offering it to them. It's frustrating to say the least.

But I'll keep pressing.

Somewhere there's a mama out there. She's scared of what will happen when her baby is born.

Or perhaps she's like I was and she's going to be stricken with grief when her baby is born. She might just need someone to listen to her cry like I did.

She may be lacking in support from family and friends and need reassurance that it's going to be ok from someone who has walked that path.

Maybe she'll want to see a child with Ds and meeting Playette will make her smile.

And then she might feel less sad if she had a doctor who was a little more sensitive in delivering a diagnosis of Ds.

I don't know what she'll need. I don't know what will help.

But the thought that one person has the opportunity to make a difference will keep me going.