Friends Are the Family You Choose

I've been thinking about this post for a long time.  I want to write about how great my friends are and how very, very much I love them.  I sometimes, no, actually, a lot of times, feel like my friends save me.  They pull me out of the darkness that sometimes I let engulf me.  You know, those times when you're just feeling so overwhelmed with life, and everything is stressful, and you feel like just curling up with a snuggie on the couch and watching reruns of The Real Housewives of.... over and over and over again?  Maybe that's just me....

But, it's amazing to me how just a quick chat with a good friend can snap you out of that.

When I first had Logan, I spoke with this woman who had a child with DS and, I mentioned the support of my great friends, and she basically told me that she wasn't friends with any of her "old" friends anymore, she was only friends with people who had children with disabilities.  This DEVASTATED me as I already was scared that I would lose all of my friends because we would be living different lives.

But, guess what!!  That's NOT true.  It's not true at all.  You can NOT let that be true.  Because, if you do, then you're letting Down syndrome define you.  You're letting it define your family.  And, worst of all, you're letting it define your child.  And you must NEVER EVER EVER do that.  Down syndrome is ONE characteristic of a million that are you and your family.

So, anyway, back to the friends.  Last week was a particularly hard week.  Not because of Logan, or really anything to do with Logan.  It was just super busy and I was feeling tired and drained.  And, it amazed me, each day how a quick phone call, a donut with daughters, an evening pedicure/sippy cup of wine:) and a chaotic family dinner made me feel so much more energized!!!   It's remarkable the strength you can gather from your girlfriends, isn't it?

Everyone knows that I love my family to death.  But, I also love my friends to death and appreciate everything they do for me.  So much!!  Love you girls:)