Value

I think people often underestimate how much of an impact their presence in each other’s lives make. Too often our sense of self-worth is perpetuated from what the media dictates. In fact, this subject alone is a bit of a sore spot for me.  I often get frustrated at the messages that say unless we look a certain way, have a certain prescribed measure of financial success, or do some sort of extraordinary act of change in this world, that our lives will be unnoticeable and our impact immeasurable.

I promise this won’t be a ranting session on top of my soap box. All I will say on the subject is that I believe we all have a great sense of value and worth just because we are alive. That is enough. And while there are all sorts of commercial ads and judging Jones’ telling me otherwise, I know deep down where it counts that it is true.

Something happened recently that only served to confirm this deeper in my heart in a positive way.

Three months ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Alvaro arrived at 4lbs and 12 oz of cuteness. He is healthy. He is laid back. He knows his Mom and Dad. He’s fascinated by sounds and ceiling fans.  He LOVES to eat and is now well over 8 lbs. And while the presence of his life has intrinsically changed mine, for most he’s just a baby like any other. He sleeps, he poops, he cries. At times he coos and smiles. He is definitely cute, but at 3 months has not had any opportunities to accomplish much. He’s reached his milestones for a 1 and 2 month old and working on his 4 month old milestones. He’s only just begun to leave his footprint in this world.

Yet his presence alone has made an impact in the life of others that he won’t realize for years to come. It’s quite exciting actually for me to be a witness to the cause, effect, and impact of one life- right from the very beginning.

Here is what happened recently.

 Around 3 weeks ago, I got a phone call from one of my work colleagues. A close friend of his had just taken 4 grandchildren into his home. This friend and his wife were empty nesters and had been so for some time. Some problems arose where the children’s parents were unable to appropriately care for the children and they were about to be split up and placed into foster care. These grandparents couldn’t allow that to happen. They decided to trade in their empty nester status and parent these children.

Due the quite unexpected turn of events in their lives, their home wasn’t accommodated for these kids. All of a sudden, furniture had to be acquired, clothes accumulated and all sorts of other items purchased to make space for these kids.  So the grandparents reached out and asked their close friends for help.

My colleague, being one of those close friends, recalled that I am connected to a church community and asked if I knew of anyone who could help. I told him I’d put the word out and I’d let him know.

I posted the need on Facebook. This is where Alvaro’s presence comes into play.

 Shortly after he was born, Xavier & I were told Alvaro had Down Syndrome (DS). So we joined our local Down Syndrome Association. He was 5 weeks old at event where we met other parents in our 1^st local DS community event and make some new friends. 

One of the new friends was a woman whose 3 year old daughter also had DS. We chatted and shared info about our children over hot dogs and mac n cheese. We also traded Facebook page names so we could keep in touch.

Shortly after my Facebook post sharing the need above, she contacted me. She had reposted my request for help on a website for a resale group she was a part of. She immediately received several responses from folks who wanted to help.

I got information from my colleague and passed it on.  Within the hour, the grandparents received a phone call from some folks who had bunk beds for them.  The boys are now enjoying their bunk beds immensely.

I just thought the entire thing was so neat. I had just recently met her as result of my son’s birth and at less than 3 months old his presence helped make such a positive connection. It’s not likely I would have met this other Mom outside of these circumstances because we do not live in the same area. And while these grandparents may have been able the receive assistance in a various amount of ways, they ended up getting help pretty quickly because I knew someone who knew someone.

And the someone I knew I would not have met, if my Alvaro hadn’t been born with Down Syndrome.

While Alvaro may spend the bulk of his days eating, sleeping, and growing, the very fabric that makes up part of who he is was a connection that helped an entire family. I think that’s a pretty special thing.

At the end of the day I thank God for using these circumstances and situations to remind me that my own impact on this world doesn’t have to big, spectacular, or momentous. I don’t have to have a small waistline, a large pocketbook, or the next big invention to help be part of a bigger story. I just need to be me. That’s enough for Him. That’s enough for me. And that my friends, is valuable indeed.