31 for 21: Day 3 Acceptance, Abortion and Autumn

What perfect fall weather we had today!  Beautiful blue skies and just the right temperature as we end another week and begin a new one tomorrow.  I believe the cooler weather will be around for the next few days.  Yahoo!  Living in the south means spending some Christmas' in shorts and never knowing when the mosquitoes are going to reappear. 

DS fact:  Abortion rates for DS are over 90%.  I don't think the rate will get any higher just for the simple reason that you will have women who are not going to abort no matter what.  What can we do to lower that rate?  Forty years ago you didn't have women finding out the sex of their child.  Men usually didn't go in  the delivery room then either.  Most children with DS ended up in institutions.  Technology today has brought many great things to our lives and also some heartaches.  I do think we are doing so many good things in promoting DS.  People are seeing that their lives have meaning and how much love and joy they bring to those who know them.  Which leads to acceptance.....

I am so grateful that my life is full of people who accepted my child exactly the way she is...my child.  I have never heard one negative comment from anyone----my family, my friends, acquaintances, and even strangers.  I dread the first day I hear a negative comment from someone.  I know it happens everyday.  I have heard and read the stories.  Remember when we were in grade school?  How everyone was friends and you didn't have any enemies.  We all hung out together and just enjoyed being kids.  Then you go to middle school and high school and suddenly your friends are the people you avoid?  I remember going to school with people who were teased about what they work, how they talked, etc.  Why do we do this?   As an adult are we still doing this?  Are our kids picking up by our example?  We hear so much today about bullying and the pressures our kids are growing up into.  Just today I read that a college boy who is gay committed suicide because another person put a video of him up on the Internet showing him having sex with another guy.  Why?  Why are we so mean?  What is our society going to be like in another 20 years?  Clearly we have a long way to go in accepting those who are not seen as being in the majority in our society.  I pray for the continued acceptance of those who will have a chance to interact with my daughter and  other children who happen to have DS in the years to come.  We need to lead and teach by our example.  Then maybe acceptance will come for those who can't find it now.