The other day Liza and I were grocery shopping in a nearby town (that has more than one grocery store) and we ran into Carissa. I was so happy to see her again. She's always got to know how I've been and how big The Boys (aka The Brothers) are now. It's just nice to run into someone who is genuinely interested in you and your family no matter how long it's been or where life may have taken you since you last saw each other.
This time I was excited to introduce Liza to Carissa. I know that they aren't going to be soul friends just because they both have an extra chromosome, but I am a silly, sappy woman and I feel like Carissa is part of the reason that I knew Down syndrome wasn't something to be scared of, and that adopting a child with Down syndrome could be a beautiful option. So, I wanted to introduce them to each other. Here's what happened:
Me: Carissa, have you met my daughter? Liza?
Carissa: yes (I didn't remember that they'd already met but if Carissa says they have. They have. I know for a fact her memory is better than mine! Must've been last time I saw her at WM.)
Me to Liza: Liza, say hello to Miss Carissa.
Liza: *throws a small container of fruit out of the buggy at Carissa's feet*
Me: Liza, stop that!
Carissa: She's being bad, huh?
And, that's what happened when Liza and Carissa met. No stars falling from the sky. No instantaneous connection.
There have been times when Liza has met someone who also has Down syndrome and seemed to immediately connect with them. Maybe I was expecting that? Or maybe those other times it was the other person who recognized that Liza was "like them" and for Liza it was just another person who she got close enough to to hug before I could stop her. My rose colored glasses do tend to help me see things the way I want them to be.
I'm kind of glad that her's and Carissa's interaction was just that of a naughty little girl meeting her mom's old school friend. That's perfectly all right with me.
I just hope next time they meet Liza can refrain from throwing things.
This time I was excited to introduce Liza to Carissa. I know that they aren't going to be soul friends just because they both have an extra chromosome, but I am a silly, sappy woman and I feel like Carissa is part of the reason that I knew Down syndrome wasn't something to be scared of, and that adopting a child with Down syndrome could be a beautiful option. So, I wanted to introduce them to each other. Here's what happened:
Me: Carissa, have you met my daughter? Liza?
Carissa: yes (I didn't remember that they'd already met but if Carissa says they have. They have. I know for a fact her memory is better than mine! Must've been last time I saw her at WM.)
Me to Liza: Liza, say hello to Miss Carissa.
Liza: *throws a small container of fruit out of the buggy at Carissa's feet*
Me: Liza, stop that!
Carissa: She's being bad, huh?
And, that's what happened when Liza and Carissa met. No stars falling from the sky. No instantaneous connection.
There have been times when Liza has met someone who also has Down syndrome and seemed to immediately connect with them. Maybe I was expecting that? Or maybe those other times it was the other person who recognized that Liza was "like them" and for Liza it was just another person who she got close enough to to hug before I could stop her. My rose colored glasses do tend to help me see things the way I want them to be.
I'm kind of glad that her's and Carissa's interaction was just that of a naughty little girl meeting her mom's old school friend. That's perfectly all right with me.
I just hope next time they meet Liza can refrain from throwing things.
No comments:
Post a Comment