Turning the World Upside Down

Well, today was probably one of the best days of my life......truly it was!

You see, I spent the day on the campus of Princeton University [one of my favorite spots, as Princeton has this magical aura about it that makes you just want to stay and continue to soak the spirit in.....the architecture, the history, the enthusiasm of a younger generation that is out to change the world]

Today, gathered on the grounds of Princeton, where hundreds of students that were volunteering their time and energy by promoting Down syndrome awareness....hosting a carnival for the children, whilst the parents and caregivers attended a conference.....they were changing the world, and I believe they will venture forward with their lives and will carry with them an understanding about Down syndrome that is far greater than they could have ever imagined.

First, I forgot my camera.....I was in Somerville, half way there from home, when I realized I had forgotten my camera. Now don't laugh, but I actually cried. Poor Otto was not sure what to do.....he realized that I was one crazy Momma, but he also knew how much I love to capture our days on film. I survived, plus there were many students with incredible camera's taking pictures of the whole day, so I know I will get to visually remember the events later on.

Emma Sage had the time of her life....she truly did. First, she got to see her 'bestest' friend Devaney, and they spent lots of time together [and actually they both had little melt downs at the end of the evening when they realized it was over and they had to part ways........Emma Sage thought that Devaney was going to sleep-over and held fast to the cell phone the whole drive hom awaiting a call from her friend] 'I know, bad Momma for allowing her to falsely believe what was not going to happen, but hey, I had to get her into the car somehow!'

I spent most of the day with Emma Sage and Otto at the carnival with a one-on-one volunteer. Her name was Lauren and I am so sad that our paths have only crossed for such a short time......Emma Sage adored Lauren, and Otto said that they had the best time together and that Lauren was incredible with Emma Sage. Lauren is a senior and is majoring in public policy. She shared with me that she had an older brother with Autism and I know going forward, Lauren is going to have a very positive impact on the world.......it is so inspiring to see young adults who 'get-it'.

A group of us [Nancy, Robin, Jessica] from the 'Gifts' book spoke.......again, I was so honored to be part of such an phenomenal group of woman.

.....and one of the greatest moments of my day came right at the end. I met and chatted with a woman that I respect greatly and a woman who raises her voice for all people with Disabilities.......I so wished the day had not ended, as I could have sat and chatted for hours with Patricia E. Bauer....thankfully from me [and all of you reading] Patrica has a blog where she uses her gift of writing about issues that impact people with Down syndrome and other disabilities. You can read her blog here and if you click on the link below, you can read her current article that appeared in the Washington Post this past week.

So here I am back at home......my mind is full and my heart is bursting with joy....

Thank you ~ Princeton Class of 2010..........you are the future, and the future is very bright indeed!!!!