| A Mother's Day Poem/Prayer Dear God We are mothers, who like all mothers, became different people with the birth of our children. We became full of awe and wonder at the miracle before us, we became vulnerable like never before and we became resolved to be the very best mothers we could be. When we as mothers received the news that our children were born with down syndrome, we had to draw even deeper from the well of Mother Love to find courage, confidence and optimism. For Mothers' Day 2002, I offer up this prayer for all the mothers who are taking this road, not the super highway through life but the scenic route, with sites under constuction, bumpy roads, detours and unexpected delays but also with picnic spots and beautiful vistas that those in the fast lane don't get to see. Loving God, help us mothers to mend our hearts, to purge us of anger or bitterness. Help us to find peace and to move forward in life with optimism and faith. Help us to heal the hurts that come from slights, both real and imagined. Give us courage, a red badge of courage, to wear on this battlefield, when we have to take our child in for delicate surgery or when we have to confront an indifferent school board about our child's needs. Help us to recognize the angels among us the excellent teachers, the caring doctors, the well wishers, the true friends. Let us accept what needs to be accepted but also to affirm that life is full of infinite possibilities. Your Greatness is beyond the scope of the human mind and we know all the answers do not lie in science but in Your unfathomable power. Let us have faith that there is indeed a 'big picture' here even if we can not see it and that when You are ready to unveil the mystery and the meaning of down syndrome You will do so in whatever way You choose. Give us mothers patience beyond measure and the strength and conviction to be our child's best advocate. Deliver us from worry about our child's future and show us how to live more fully in the present. Help us to bear the sting of prejudice and the scourge of isolation and to educate others as to what these things really are discrimination based on fear and lack of understanding. Let us know that our children with down syndrome, by virtue of their very breath, are worthy of the respect and dignity that are the right of every human being. Let us realize that the value of any single person can only be measured in Your eyes and not by the human mind which uses yardsticks like achievement, intelligence and ability to measure worth. But let us strive to help our children achieve according to their own standards and in ways that support their self esteem and pride. Let us collectively pray for a society that sees the unity among all people as primary and our differences as secondary. Let us hope for the day when all human differences are tolerated, no - accepted for being part of the grand mosaic that is life. Let us as mothers, offer support to one another and never criticize another sister on the same path, who chooses to do things differently for her child whether it is the type of schooling she adopts or the priorities she sets for her home life that may be different from ours. Our intuition tells us that each mother is the best judge for her own child and for her family circumstances as a whole. Let us remember to look after ourselves as well and to take the time to exercise, and meditate, and have time for friends and especially to ask others for help when we need it. Help us to keep our own cup full so that we can give to others as freely as we would like. Let us enjoy the many blessings our children bring how they open our hearts, how they help us to see beyond boundaries, how they culture our feeling level so that we become more caring and sensitive human beings. May we realize that our children are more than the sum of their needs, and that their needs do not totally define who they are as people. May we always be ready to share our perceptions of wholeness with the people who interact with our child on a daily basis. May we always be mindful that our children are Your children and that through our love and devotion to them, we are doing Your work. May we cherish every child. May we accept our challenges with faith in your greatness and compassion and may we honor every woman, every mother of a child with down syndrome. Donna Hiscott |