A difference

Earlier this week while I was driving the kids to school (I cannot seem to ever get them up and ready in time to make the bus!), Owen asked me a question. A question that I knew was coming but one that I wanted to come up naturally and in it's own due time.

Owen, sitting in the front seat of the car quietly asked me, "mom, does Jack have down syndrome?"

I smiled over at him and simply said, "yeah."

Owen, surprised at my response, "really!, so that means he won't ever go to school and he's going to live with you and dad forever, right?"

I laughed a little to ease his anxiety, "Owie, of course Jack will go to school and we believe that Jack will leave and have his own life just like the rest of you. Having down syndrome just means that you have to work harder to do the same stuff you do and it takes a bit longer to learn things."

Sweet Owen took this information in and thought for a moment. "So this is the trial that Heavenly Father gave to Jack, kind of like the trial he gave me and Luke is that we have to check our blood sugars a lot, and Lily's trial is . . .what again?"

I smiled over at him and enjoyed his sweet innocence for a moment. "Yeah, kind of but Heavenly Father gave Jack something really really special. He gave Jack the ability to be kind and to love people and to see the good in all people."

Owen was obviously impressed and interrupted me with a "wow!"

"I know. . .cool, huh!"

I smiled and felt happy with my impromptu answer. Chad and I discussed before Jack was born about how we would tell the kids. We both felt strongly that we wanted the kids to come to know Jack first. That the matter of Jack having down syndrome was only part of who he is not the sum total or even a large part of who he is. We wanted the kids to all get to know him first and foremost as their brother.

As Owen got out of the car to go (late) to school he said goodbye as he always does to Lily and Jack, (Owen and Luke have always called Jack "his awesomeness or Jack amazingness") he collected up his backpack and said his goodbye's, "bye Rubby, see you later, bye mom, bye awesomeness Jack, we love you!"

That was all, same goodbye as usual. Days pass by and life continues much in the same way; Owen learned this week one more thing about his little brother. Now their nickname for Jack probably has even more meaning!

Yesterday he learned that Jack likes open mouth kisses.

. . .the open mouth kisses part is probably a more significant discovery.