Life Part 2

Finally met baby X.
He's the youngest child of my cohorts.
Was studying in his house.
When his baby walked into the house, he was absolutely not afraid of strangers.
His daddy told him "Come.. Shake hand with Aunty..."
He 'jumbled-tumbled' towards me with his hands stretched out to shake it.

Then, he sat down on the floor and removed his shoes.
First.. the right one..
Then.. the left one....
While removing the left shoe, he noticed his right shoe wasn't standing upright.
Quickly, he straightened it upright.
Then!!!
He stood up and said.. "Papa.. bao bao (carry)!!"
When daddy went over, X pushed him away cause he dun liked to be hugged.
But again, he said "Papa.. bao bao..."

Ah.. I get it this time! He wants daddy to carry him upstairs to bedroom.
But quickly, his mummy and aunty carried him upstairs.
But not before he came to me again, shake hand and bye bye again.

Baby X is a down syndrome baby.
Before I went to my cohort's house, I was admiring at the beauty of my godson who's teething, who's beginning to walk.. who's beginning to talk..
But yet.. baby X striked a chord in my heart.
Striked it deep in my heart.
I asked my friend.. why X pushed you away when you hugged him?
He said that his growing up days was filled with needles since birth.
40% of DS kids are born with hole in the heart and he's one of them.

We learn from Social Work infants between 0-12months old, they are beginning to develop their sensory, visual and motor skills.
Motor skills like sucking...
Sensory skills like sensing..
Visual skills like recognising...
But X didn't developed these.. cause he's filled with needles..

I remember one night at the gal's shepherding session...
We got into this topic "If given a choice and you know that your kid is DS, would you choose to interfere with God's creation?"
I asked the same question to my friend.
He said (NOT in exact words) "My wife and me believed that everything is given from God. It is a gift. There is a plan and purpose for all. Believe me. In the months that I was in the hospital, our learning curve increased! We were both devastated when we realised X was DS but when we were in the hospital, we saw other children and parents' sufferings and miseries, we can't help but shut up and thank God for all we have! We began to know how to give thanks and exercise faith."

At at moment, I was nearly at the brink of tears.
I was suddenly so so so thankful...
When I went home, I just can't stop thanking God.. Thanking God for the many things that I have...
A home to return to.. a room of my own.. a computer to use.. brains to think.. studies to upgrade myself...
What other things can I exactly complain about?
Have we taken things too much for granted?
*shrug*...

My personal prayer is really that I won't fall into complacency..
Learning is everyday.
Everyday is changing.
We never know what we will learn.
We never know what we CAN learn.
Like my friend... He and his wife found faith.. found strength through sorrow.
I can too.

Ps 34:18
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."