I Hate It - And That's Okay

I love my son with all my being, with all my heart. He is a precious treasure that was hard fought for and earnestly prayed for. He is a joy to my heart and makes me smile just thinking of him... his smell... his giggle... his wiggles... his skin... everything about him - everything except the Down Syndrome part.

I understand this genetic disorder is a gift. A gift from God that will teach so much to so many of us. And I truly do accept the gift, the opportunity, the responsibility. But even though I accept the diagnosis, I don't love Down Syndrome. I hate it.

 I hate the challenges it presents. I hate the stigma it brings. And you know what? I think that it's okay to hate it. We hate cancer. We hate migraines. We hate arthritis. We hate the Fall and the consequences of it.

And even though those diseases/ disorders are not who we ARE, they are a part of us. So we accept them. We adjust to them. We learn a lot about others, ourselves and our beliefs. We can even find the silver lining. But we can hate them for hurting us... and for hurting those we love.