08/26/2025
This is the face of a boy who is the target of hatred. Like so many others with Down syndrome, he is ridiculed, he is judged, and his worth is questioned. He may not understand the insults, but his loved ones certainly do.
Our society is so focused on perfection. We focus on having nothing but the best, we focus on beauty, we fill our homes with possessions, and our schedules are overbooked so we can do all the things. Along the way to achieving perfection, we lose sight of what truly matters. Honestly, are most of us even happy? Even those who are celebrated for how they look or what they have are struggling.
Here’s what I want people to know. This boy chooses joy. He chooses love. He works incredibly hard each day to conform to society’s standards, yet he still manages to appreciate all the little things in life. He is content. He is truly happy. Despite the judgement, he loves himself, he loves people, and he loves his life. He is considered less than by so many, but he is the one who has so much more.
As I ran around today, checking things off my to do list and stressing over situations that feel out of my control, I glanced over to see him smiling and looking out the window as he listened to music on his Tonies Box. He just looked so happy and content, and I felt compelled to sit next to him for a few minutes. We looked out the window together, we hugged, and we exchanged grins. Despite the weight of the world on my shoulders, THIS is what matters in the end. THIS is pretty darn close to perfection.
