Steve, After finding out I didn't think I'd ever be able to be happy and have reason to smile again. It was really like suffering the death of the child you were supposed to have, and yet you had the overwhelming job of raising this other child that would never be normal......But as it turns out, you make your own normal.
adrift
JoinedPosts by adrift
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11
Disabled kids
by smack inin response to sheras post on the 3 things thread.
who here looks after a disabled child.
my son chris is 14 soon, he has trisomy 21, down syndrome.
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Look what I get to see!
by WildHorses ini am a really big fan of history and the titanic has always been of great interest to me.
i was listening to the radio on my way to work this morning and heard about the exhibit here in raleigh.
i asked my son, manuel, if he would like to go and he said sure.
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adrift
WildHorses, I saw the exhibit a few years ago when it was in Chicago and no, you can't take pictures or video of it. Less than a week after I saw it someone managed to steal a diary. When I was there some guy was trying to use his video camera and I always wondered after that if he could have been casing the exhibit for this theft.
I'm a big history buff too. You're going to love it!!
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11
Disabled kids
by smack inin response to sheras post on the 3 things thread.
who here looks after a disabled child.
my son chris is 14 soon, he has trisomy 21, down syndrome.
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adrift
Smack, I also have a child with Down Syndrome. Her name is Emily and she is 10. She is the youngest of my 3 kids and when she was born it was a total surprise when the Dr. told us of her condition. Most of her physical problems are relatively minor. She has had numerous problems with her ears, very mild heart defect and the most significant problem was a stenosis of the duedenam which required surgery when she was 2.
Emily also has speech problems. It's very hard for strangers to understand her. She does, however, have very good receptive language skills. She understands everything!
I'm sorry to hear that your son has had such a rough time of it. Will they ever be able to help him so he can eat solid foods? I feel really lucky with Emily. There are so many other things that are so much worse than Down Syndrome. I don't dwell on what might have been and am in fact surprised when some stranger makes a point of commenting on the DS. as she looks just like any other kid to me. She's been a real joy.
I ran across this the other day, I have read it before and I think it is very good. Hope it copies.
A Trip To Holland By Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability -- to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans... the Coliseum, the Sistine Chapel, Gondolas. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting. After several months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland!" "Holland?" you say. "What do you mean, Holland? I signed up for Italy. I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy." But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place full of pestilence, famine, and disease. It's just a different place. So, you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around. You begin to notice that Holland has windmills. Holland has tulips. And Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, " Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that experience will never, ever, ever, go away. The loss of that dream is a very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.
I haven't posted much as I haven't made an introduction and feel like something of a sneak. Will have to psych myself up to do that one of these days.
Take care, Adrift
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Gangs of New York
by Maverick ini just rented "gangs of new york".
i watched it last night and my daughter watched it this morning, we agree it was the worst thing we have endured in the last two years.
we both thought it was terrible.
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adrift
I fell asleep while watching it and didn't bother to see the rest. It was just too dark. I am also not fond of that baby faced DiCaprio kid. He is not leading man material in my book.
Did you see the documentary on the history behind the movie, that came with the DVD? I was only able to watch part of it, but thought what I saw was fascinating. I would recommend that. I would like to rent the DVD again to see the rest of it.
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Do you get yearly visits from the elders?
by unbeliever inmy sister just got a visit from the elders.
this was the first visit in 10 years.
an inactive friend told me they are supposed to visit every year.
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adrift
I have been contacted for the purpose of finding out if I want to come back, only twice in the eighteen years that I have been free.
The second time was about three years ago. This guy couldn't face me in person, he had to call me on the phone. I wonder how long it took him to work up his courage. I'm sure his fellow fools nominated him for the job as we were very close friends growing up. We used to share our most private thoughts with each other. A rare thing for dubs, especially between the sexes... Since I gained my freedom he hasn't seen fit to even look me in the face on those occasions when I pass him by as he is washing windows..... Too bad, I'm mostly a good person.
Anywho, he is super friendly on the phone and as I began to understand the purpose for his call, I got reeaall pissed. I gave him a good tongue lashing, told him to never ever call me again, told him in my most sarcastic voice to "have a nice life", and slammed the phone down.
Problem solved for good I'm sure.
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adrift
Pleasuredome, This is too bizarre!! This cute puss airing his privates is in fact not Brummie, but Dewey, the evidently world famous library cat. I've met this cat!!! I can't believe you found pictures of him.
Isn't the internet just an amazing thing!! adrift
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Crisis of Conscience
by Cheyannesways ini am on the last chapter of this book!
i can hardly put it down.
have you all read it?
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adrift
My brother took my first copy years ago and never returned it, so I bought another late this winter from amazon.com. Do a search under used books. I see there are copies available. It's a snap to order and you can have it delivered to your door in just a few days.
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What do you believe happens after death?
by JH in.
do you believe that the dead are really dead, unconscious, without life, like the watchtower taught us, or do you think that they are still alive, but in another world or another form?.
do you believe that you had a previous life before this one?.
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adrift
I think it is interesting that it is a tenet of all religions the world over that there is life after death,....or the potential for life after death. It doesn't matter if the religion is Christian, Islam, Buddhism or some primitive religion of the ancient peoples of South America. Why is that? Is it that man just can't accept that there could be nothing more?
I do not think it is so awful to imagine that there is nothing after death. If there is no consciousness it would be like being asleep. No fear, no pain, no knowledge of the passage of time. I can live with that prospect for myself. I hope there is more though, for the children who never had a chance to grow up.
ballistic, I have looked at death records from the 1800's and there were people who lived life spans comparable to today. However, the records were interspersed with alot more unlucky people who didn't live out their lives to their potential length. Who caught Scarlet Fever or Whooping Cough, or had a bad appendix or stepped on a rusty nail or died giving birth. I don't think our life spans today are unnatural, more of us just live out our full potential lives.
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My Photo
by Amazing infor those who don't know me, or have yet to meet in person, this is my mug shot:
not my best photo, but it will do for now
this face was seen at least at 10,000 doors in many states during my 25 years in the borg.
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adrift
Amazing, The day I first found this site, I read some of your posts and they really stood out to me. I clicked on your name and followed it to your own web site.
I have to say, I wouldn't call your story short. It took me two margaritas and then a pot of coffee, which I then needed, before I finished it. I just couldn't stop reading due to those cliff hangers at the end of every page. I think there is a job for you out there writing for the soaps.
Anyway, I have really enjoyed your posts. I hope you'll be visiting here more often again.
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Your most powerful spiritual saying is?????
by anti-absolutist inwe all go through times of stress and sad times.
what is a simple, yet profound saying that you have reminded yourself of to make these troubling times easier?
you don't have to believe in a literal god, just that there are higher thoughts within us that we all are able to draw from.. the one that has worked the best for me is: .
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adrift
I like these two:
The place is here; the way leads everywhere.
also
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Glad to get this first post out of the way!