Buddy Walk Here We Come

Tomorrow is a very exciting day for us! We will begin a new tradition...one that we didn't know existed this time last year.  We will participate in our first Buddy Walk with our little man.

The Buddy Walk is an event that was started by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to celebrate October as Down Syndrome Awareness Month and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down Syndrome. Okay, so I must admit...I just stole that tidbit of info straight from the NDSS site to tell you the technical definition of what the Buddy Walk is. For me, it represents so much more...I will be celebrating the life of a little boy that has forever changed mine and so many others.

The love and support that we receive from our friends and family is amazing, and I am so appreciative of those who are joining us tomorrow. We refer to Deacon as "Our Little Sunshine" because he brightens our home daily with his unconditional love, his smile, and the pure joy that he brings us.  And over this past year, I have seen those rays of sunshine radiate outside of our home to those around us...friends, family, and even complete strangers. I know how he impacts me, but when I see how he impacts them, I get overwhelmed with emotion...a good overwhelmed. The kind that makes your heart feel like it's going to explode.

This journey will not always be easy. I know the older Deacon gets, the harder it will get, because I know that there will be a day when we will have to face a world full of people that are uneducated on Down Syndrome and can be so cold and cruel.  I have even had a few moments already where I have had to face this. But there is also a world full of kind, loving, considerate and compassionate people, and I will work hard to surround Deacon with these type of people. The ones who love, support, and embrace him for who he is and that will see him as a baby, child, teenager, adult first rather than a diagnosis.  So far this has been an easy task...pretty much effortless, and for that I am so grateful!

So I want to say thank you to all of my friends and family for being such great support! Thanks to those who have donated, those who are walking with us tomorrow, those who have bought a t-shirt, those who have prayed for us throughout the past year, and even for those who just take the time to read this blog. I cannot wait to tell you all about our first Buddy Walk! There is a chance that it could rain on our parade tomorrow, but that is okay, because I will still have my Little Pocket Full of Sunshine! ;)

GO TEAM DEACON!!!