(Semi)Wordless Wednesday

If you’re engaged in social media, and since you’re reading this blog there’s a good chance you are, you may be familiar with Facebook’s Wordless Wednesdays. This is a day when some individuals and organizations decide to post a picture that “says it all” without using any words.

Now, that’s all well and good, but I’m a writer who loves to read. I like words, so Wordless Wednesdays are not really my cup of tea.

But every once in a while, I come across a picture that really speaks to me and I’ve decided that, rather than simply posting it in the ‘Stroll around Campus’ photo album on facebook and risk it getting hidden with all the other photos, I would highlight it in an occasional (Semi)Wordless Wednesday post for you to enjoy as well. It won’t always be the clearest picture, but I hope it will inspire emotions and thoughts that will help you understand the story of Shepherds College. That’s the “wordless” part. 

Sometimes the “semi” part will come from you. I want to hear the word or phrase that came to mind when you first saw the picture. It will help feed my word-loving soul. Please post your thoughts in either the blog or facebook comments.

Sometimes, the “semi” part will come from me if I feel the picture needs to be put into context. 

I saw this photo op from down the hallway and rushed up to it praying the whole way, “God, please don’t let them move. Keep them still, don’t let them move.” They didn’t move.

Here is today’s picture:

 

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

The Walk

 Autumn has come to Shepherds College. How do we know?

Chef McCarthy moved his new Culinary Arts students from their desks to the kitchen.

Mrs. Leith is giving away the last of the tomatoes grown by the Horticulture students to Love Inc., a local non-profit.

Pumpkins are popping up as part of the lessons in classrooms.

The students are starting to talk about Christmas break.

And the DSAW held their annual Down Syndrome Buddy Walk at the Milwaukee County Zoo.

The Buddy Walk is an exciting event for the students. They have the opportunity to participate in a fun activity on a slow Sunday. 

They interact with family, friends and staff. 

They get a chance to see their favorite animals.

But most important, the students have an active role in raising awareness for a cause with which they are intimately familiar. Someone they care about, whether a friend, a family member, a classmate, or maybe even themselves, has Down syndrome.

For Shepherds College, this is an important event, not just to promote our program, but to empower our students to serve others in an impactful and meaningful way.

 

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Friday's Top Five: More 31 for 21 Blogs

Day 19 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

I’ve read a lot of blogs on Down syndrome this month.

Most were written by tired, concerned, proud, loving moms who are determined to make a difference - to change a mind, or change a society - in an effort to make this world a better, more accepting place for their children with Down syndrome, and others like them.

Some were written by professional journalists/authors/bloggers whose carefully selected words drew me into their world of Down syndrome, doctor visits, milestones and miracles in a way that made parenting a child with disabilities a very real experience, if only for the moments I was engaged in their story.

And some were simply photo albums, visual journals of the special moments in the life of a child with Down syndrome.

All had value. And that’s what made it so tough to pick five to highlight for you today!

So I decided to go a more whimsical route in selecting today’s 31 for 21 blogs. I picked titles that included qualities I admire in my friends and hope to cultivate in myself: grace, hope, joy and love.

1.       Grace Upon Grace –

           Lisa writes this blog on her family's life, including her daughter Magdalena who has Down syndrome and an AV canal heart defect. Occasionally she also offers her reflections, passes on suggestions, and shares some ideas.

2.       Breathe Hope – 

Claire’s daughter has Down syndrome. She believes that Elina brings a little more light into this hard, confusing world. She writes to share that light.

3.       Discovering Joy – 

Bahama Mama is a Marine spouse who knows each of her three children is a blessing from God, made in His likeness with no mistakes. Her youngest Danielle has three copies of her 21^st chromosome. She writes about embracing that little “something extra.”

4.       Love Life and Be Gentle – 

Shannon has a happy home - two girls, two boys, one with an extra special chromosome. She writes about loving life. And being gentle.

5.       Unexpected Joy – 

Tami and her husband adopted a child with Down syndrome through the foster care system. Through this blog, she wants to share about her family, and how life is good, but different, caring for a child who has a disability.

Whether it’s these blogs or others, please share your favorites with us too!

 


Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Our Ambassador

Day 6 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

I ate lunch with Lindsay yesterday. 

She was chatty and excited and more than a little nervous about today. She barely touched the corn on her plate so I urged her to stop talking and take a few bites.

As she chewed, I wrote in my notebook, “So passionate and well-spoken. The perfect choice for an ambassador at the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk in Neenah.”

Lindsay will be greeting and welcoming people who attend today’s walk, and then – the reason for her nerves and cold corn - giving a speech in front of “the whole Fox Cities area.”

I asked her what it’s like to have Down syndrome and what she hopes to accomplish as an ambassador at today’s event. The rest of this blog is hers:

“I have an extra chromosome that gives me a slow learning in my brain. It’s called Down syndrome. It also makes my feet function differently. I walk on the balls of my feet. It hurts to walk flat-footed. It gives me cramps in my legs.

I went to a public high school, but I was in Special Education. My friends were mostly teachers because the other students weren’t like me. They had the ability to learn faster than me. The students didn’t talk to me much – usually just ignored me.

At home, my dad really understood my disability. I could talk to him and he knew what I was trying to say.

As an ambassador to people with Down syndrome, I want people to know that Down syndrome is just an ability for us to grow in our knowledge. We don’t like to be called ‘retarded.’ Down syndrome is just something that people have because it is part of their purpose, part of what they were designed for.

Other people need to know that it’s important to treat people with respect, and act with integrity. And responsibility also comes with having Down syndrome. When people see good character in us, hopefully they will give it back to us.

Many people are willing to support people with Down syndrome, not just ignore us. People with Down syndrome should not give up on themselves.

I want to say to the people with Down syndrome that my main purpose is to let them know that I can be a voice for them if they need one. I know about their situation in life. We are a part of God’s purpose too. He put us here, so we can have more hope and confidence that we can succeed in the future.

There is more to disability than taking it seriously. Our personalities should show too. We need a sense of humor in life. We need to show who we are, not just the disability we have.

There are things that make me feel bad about having Down syndrome - emotionally, in my heart. I see people treating people like me badly – bossing them around and picking on them. We don’t always know how to respond when people act like this to us. There is lots to like about Down syndrome. We’re easy to be friends with and friends are there forever. I also think it’s easy for us to be loving, caring and helpful. Many people with Down syndrome are blessed in a special way like that. I just want peace between people with disability and people who don’t have disability.

I’ve never done this before – being an ambassador for people with Down syndrome. I’m nervous, but I’m going to show confidence and faith. I know I can achieve my goals of being more confident, getting an education, understanding my emotions and growing spiritually.

I not only want to be an advocate, I want to be my own guardian as well. I want to be trusted with my own life. I want my ideas to be taken seriously, and I want to work at a place like Shepherds College to help other people find their ability. These inspirations come from my heart.

The most important thing to tell my friends is that God is the biggest thing to look for. Find His character and put it in your heart.”

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Friday's Top Five: The Building Blogs of Life

Day 5 of the 31 for 21Challenge

  

I have a cool relationship with the students of Shepherds College. I’m not one of their teachers so the behaviors associated with the classroom don’t apply when they see me. I don’t pass their meds, I don’t assign chores, I’m not responsible for their discipline, and I don’t tell them what time they have to turn out the lights.

I’m the woman who writes about them and takes a lot of pictures. I walk down the hallways with a camera, a notebook and an open invitation to talk. When they see me, a few shy students hide, but mostly I get big smiles, high fives, hugs, invitations to hang out with them, and a lot of posing for the camera along with requests to “Put that one on Facebook!”

Kameelah

I’ve fallen in love with these guys. They are a part of my work, my life and my world. I consider them friends.

Lindsay

Sam

Sean

Because they are my friends, I learn all I can about them so I can represent them and their experiences at Shepherds College accurately and well.

A part of learning about them is learning about their disability so I do a lot of reading, especially blogs. With their first-hand knowledge, blog writers – good ones – are honest with their emotions and show a depth of understanding that only intimate familiarity with the subject can bring. 

Since it’s National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I want to direct you to some of my favorite blogs on this disability. Grab a cup of coffee or a hot chocolate on this fall day, get comfy and start reading. Share the links and invite your friends to read these with you. Talk about them later. Were they hard to read? Too brutal in their honesty? Could you relate to their stories as a parent? Did they make you cry? Have you struggled over the same issues as the writers? And most importantly, did these blogs give you a greater understanding of people with Down syndrome and the people who love them? I hope so. It’s the point of this month – to build awareness of Down syndrome, to include people with Down syndrome in your community, and to accept people of all abilities into your world.

Caroline

Happy reading!

1.       Gillian Marchenko - http://www.gillianmarchenko.com/

Gillian writes about stumbling faith, Down syndrome, adoption, grace, the occasional spoonful of peanut butter & sometimes the whole jar.

2.       Ellen Stumbo: A Mom that Writes - http://www.ellenstumbo.com/the-blog/

Ellen is a mom writing about finding beauty in brokenness. This month she is sharing her story of finding out her daughter had Down syndrome and the first few weeks of her life.

3.       A Perfect Lily - http://babynumber10.blogspot.com/

Patti started this blog during the pregnancy of her tenth child, Lily Anne. Lily’s birth, diagnosis and life made a profound impact on their family and the lives around them. Patti hopes this blog makes a profound impact on yours.

4.       The Chronicles of Ellie Bellie Bear - http://ellietheurer.blogspot.com/p/about-blog.html

Anna originally started this blog as a means to keep everyone updated about Ellie's health status and to educate her friends and family about Down syndrome and sensory processing disorder [SPD].  In the past year, her blog has evolved to include a snapshot of their day-to-day lives, developmental progress reports, and entertaining stories about her 4-legged fur babies and husband's DIY endeavors.

5.       Just a Little Muchier Muchness - http://superdownsy.blogspot.com/

We shouldn't be Us and Them. We are all just parents and people trying to listen and live. Through this blog, Tiffany is hoping to lift the veil between us with peeks at her life with her daughter with Down syndrome.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.