|
|
Our "Kasey story" is really pretty basic and I guess that's the take-away and what we'd like to share. The bottom line in our philosophy has been nothing more or nothing less than raising Kasey just like we would try and raise any child. She has a brain, two hands, two feet, ears, eyes, fingers, etc, etc, etc and thankfully does not have any serious health issues. That being the case, we never felt any reason to limit our expectations on her potential and what she was capable of accomplishing. That philosophy was not something that we necessarily thought a lot about or had deep discussions on, it was just always there….right from the beginning. |
A Letter From Kasey's Dad |
After the doctors told me that Kasey had Down's and I had to tell Sherri, I was petrified and struggling with how I would break the news to her. Sherri's response was basically nothing more than asking me and the hospital staff how long it was going to take before someone was going to bring her new kid to her. No big emotional breakdown…no drama….just where's my kid. That simple story really tells it all, and I guess that our philosophy (if that's what you want to call it) kind of developed from there. Horses are a big part of our life and Kasey adopted that love for horses from her mom at a very early age. I've heard that the best thing for the inside of any child is the outside of a horse, and I can guarantee you that there's a lot of truth in that statement….for any kid. Kasey's been all about horses forever. Kasey and Sherri spend hours & hours together on horseback and over time, Kasey has become not just a really good rider, but really good working around horses in general. It still amazes me that she can do what she does, but then I ask myself, why not? She loves horses, has spent countless hours horseback, and had a great instructor, and it's paid off. The coolest thing about Kasey and so many other Downs kids that I've been around is their unconditional love and the joy that they get out of life. People need to understand that! So many people struggle with finding genuine happiness and joy in their life; Kasey has it naturally, and THAT is the real blessing. She does not have to try and manufacture happiness, it's just there! I wonder how many people go through life looking to find what Kasey has always had. That's where she has a big advantage on the rest of us and how we should start gauging real human value. Our bottom line and I guess the learning that we would share is: kids are kids. Get them involved in something that they are passionate about, have high expectations & show them that you believe in them, put them in the right environment to learn and grow, and they'll all amaze you with what they can accomplish. I hope this quick note gives you something that you can use. I'm sure that Sherri can fill in the blanks with much more thought and detail, if needed. Randy |