I went shopping with Edry yesterday. Maybe it’s how small Edry looks, but a few people saw him and said, “Kesian,” which is Malay for the word pity. Is this a habit for some people when they see a small baby? I understand if they say, “Aw, how cute,” which I am SO sure is developed out of habit. I know that because I used to not do that at all when I see small babies. I didn’t even care about babies and small kids until I become a mom.

Anyway…

I hope people won’t pity me for having a child who has Down. Nor do I want people to pity Edry for having Down. I just want people to understand that we need support like any typical moms and kids do. I want people to understand that Edry might need to be educated the way other children who have a hard time learning do. We need empathy, not sympathy.

Because if you could just give us the chance, if you could just be patient with us, Edry and differently-abled children can grow up to become happy and fulfilled. They are educationally-driven, run their own businesses, and can even drive around doing their own errands. They can even bust criminals.

So, you know… I’m OK. He’s OK. Life’s OK.

Don’t say you pity us. Just understand us. And give us a smile. That’s always a great way to make our day.