My daughter Caroline turns four tomorrow. She’s our middle child and some of you know she has Down syndrome which makes her life a little more interesting than yours and mine. When she was born, we really had no idea what to expect. I knew some friends whose children had DS, but really, other than that, I had no inkling of the potential issues that could possibly be made manifest as a result of this diagnosis.

The short form is, my wife and I did a lot of research, were blessed to have a lot of support from our families, our friends, and the department, and we have a beautiful girl whose smile lights up a room and who has, on her positive outlook alone, become somewhat of a celebrity in our community.

But I digress; the reason I am blogging about Caroline is because much of what makes her who she is isn’t about what she can’t do, but what she can, and thus the moral of the story.

Caroline led off her young life being flown to the Medical University of South Carolina at the age of four days. Six weeks later, her stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of that hospital had seen her through a battery of invasive procedures and surgeries as well as several near-death experiences. We won the good fight though, orchestrated valiantly by the excellent doctors, nurses, and ancillary support staff of that facility, whom all remain to this day in our prayers. At no point in those six weeks did Caroline ever appear that she planned to give up on us. She battled through it all and inspired us all. She tolerated the needlesticks and poking, and prodding at all hours of the night and endured it all with a smile to us from time to time, while my wife and I did our best to rarely leave her side.

It was apparent from early on she would be a warrior; a Deputy Chief friend of mine who also has a special needs child, told me that certain religions see these children as warrior angels of God, sent down from heaven to teach us lessons about life. I can’t even tell that story out loud without getting a little choked up.

Caroline’s progress is measured in smaller increments than with other children, but celebrated just as vigorously. She has amazed many people by the things she can do because so many people have a misconception of DS; as a result, the expectations they have set in their minds are so low, when they see that it’s not all doom and gloom, they are surprised.

Caroline is a joy to be around, normally she is a very happy child, but she is not without faults. She can throw a tantrum just like any other three-going-on-four year old. She likes to play with her food and won’t eat certain things. But these are all normal childlike behaviors; in fact she more like a normal child than not. She loves playing on the swingset and she likes riding her modified tricycle. She loves to draw and really loves to read and she sings the “Go, Diego, Go” song with her sisters until they drive me nuts.

Caroline, however, has the benefit of having occupational, speech, and physical therapy each twice a week, as well as going to Pre-K Monday through Friday, where in each, she is challenged and pressed to move forward. She is amazing. She has a determination about her and when she wants to do something, she keeps trying and doesn’t readily give up, just like her Mom. Most of the problems she currently has to deal with are as a result of her size, where she is right about the same height and weight as her two-year old sister. This doesn’t stop her from climbing stairs, pulling herself up a ladder, or getting to the things I don’t want her to pull off the kitchen counter.

So what is it that Caroline can teach us? Well, our lives must be more wrapped around the things we can do and the things we can’t, well, we must strive to learn, to practice, and to get better at them. If we can’t do something, is it because we lack tools, knowledge, or strength? Or is it because we get frustrated, or we lack commitment, or that we won’t take the time to practice?

As we learn regularly from reading FASNY’s blog, The Accidental Runner, we can derive inspiration from someone who has a lot to lose if we fail. In your own life, you may yourself know someone who has challenges, yet they continue to endeavor. How is it, then, that you can complain about your own life or your own shortcomings if you are currently blessed with health, time, and resources? When I watch Caroline struggling to master a task, how can I possibly be ungrateful for the gifts God has given me and how could I ever squander those gifts by being lazy or by feeling unmotivated?

Seek inspiration in the hearts and deeds of others and understand that with courage, patience, wisdom and strength, you can learn and you can do things that can reciprocally inspire greatness in others as well.

For more information on Down syndrome or on our non-profit organization, Caroline & Friends, please come by and check out the website www.carolinenfriends.com