Thursday, May 28, 2009

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Down syndrome

Welcome to my debut into the world of blogging!

Robert Fulghum has written a book entitled, “Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten”. Not to copy off of him, but for the past couple years, I have been compiling a list of the most helpful items I have learned in life as well. This may not surprise you but I realized that my list has all come from Down syndrome. Each quip has a story behind it. Some hilarious, some heart breaking and some that just are what they are. So, for my first blog, I present to you:

Everything I need to know I learned from Down syndrome:

Manners matter.

Being polite is important.

Love what you do.

Share your dreams.

Share your lunch.

Remove all obstacles.

Greet the ones you love with a hug; or when in doubt just greet everyone with a hug.

Pray before you eat.

Include your loved ones in your daily prayers.

Do your best all the time.

Ask questions when you don’t know the answer.

Eat a balanced diet.

Exercise and make it fun.

Be honest.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Words can hurt feelings.

Don’t enable bad behavior.

Always focus on what you do have and not on what you don’t have.

Accept it and move on.

Be Courageous.

Tell people what you need and your needs will be met.

Plan your day in advance.

Focus on ability not disability.

Routine is very important.

So is flexibility.

It’s all about portion size.

Little details matter.

Food and balloons really can make some people happy.

Do not overpromise and under deliver.

Why would anyone want a cure for Down syndrome?

I may not have any friends if it weren’t for Down syndrome.

Everyone is really good at something.

Set high goals.

Set high expectations.

Talking to oneself is a very productive way to work through things.

People touched by Down syndrome are just so real.

Spell check is awesome!

Never underestimate how much individuals with Down syndrome know about the internet.

Never underestimate how much individuals with Down syndrome know, period.

Never underestimate how much individuals with a disability know, period.

Never underestimate anyone, period.