Yesterday the kids and I were at Barnes & Noble. Katherine and Elizabeth were browsing books and I was sitting on a little kiddie stool next to Wil as he played with the train table. A woman with a lovely English accent approached the train table with her granddaughter who was about 3 years old. The woman said, “Hi” to Wil and walked around the train table and sat down on the stool next to me, while her granddaughter joined Wil. The woman and I smiled at one another, and sat silently for awhile. It was a comfortable silence, both of us enjoying the interaction between the two new friends.
It was all very casual, so “normal.” But that is not my typical with strangers. Its very common that people go out of their way to be friendly to Wil, or I’m asked if Wil has Down syndrome and then they share their experiences with someone they know who has Down syndrome. I enjoy this forthcoming friendliness, and also how an extra chromosome has the power to create bonds between strangers.
And yet yesterday, I found it so refreshing to enjoy this typical, comfortable silence between two women watching their children play.
The ordinary is never ordinary when you take a moment to appreciate what it is made of. It’s the little pieces of every day life that make it quite extraordinary.
Stories of Wil, my son, who has Down syndrome 