We've got a winner!

I don’t usually utilize this public forum of sorts to hop up on a soapbox. My intentions are to share Annie info and photos with friend’s and family thirsty for chubby cheeks and updates. However, last night I had an experience that has compelled me to ramble it a bit. How about I set the scene and then spout off?

(I ran into an acquaintance in passing….)

Acquaintance: Hey there, how are ya?

Me: Great, thanks, and you?

Acquaintance: Not bad, how’s that baby?

Me: Doing really well.

Acquaintance: How old is she now, I can never remember these things?

Me: Just about 8 months, we’re working on getting some teeth and she’s been starting to try and crawl--

Acquaintance: (Gets a serious look) So, is she a winner? A keeper?

Me: (confused?) Of course! She’s such a sweet girl, I can’t believe how fast she’s growing--

Acquaintance: Well good to hear it, so many of these kids these days have problems, and “they” will tell you things like Downs are a “blessing”, but that ain’t no blessing, no problems are….glad to hear you’ve got a winner…

Me: ….well, we’re not without our problems, but Annie is certainly a “winner” (all of this went unheard as Acquaintance was still mumbling about)…

Now I consider myself pretty outspoken, and I certainly have the ability to be insensitive at times (unintentionally of course). But it really caught me off guard that someone would go out of their way (note genetic disorders were not even the topic of our brief conversation?) to make sure I knew, that a “healthy” baby, was desirable. Obviously this was a rare, isolated incident - and obviously the insensitive comments were made without knowing much about me, or Annabelle.

But it did make me think…and stew…and wonder if that’s how most people look at things? I mean really? Let’s be honest here…there’s not a moment of the day that I sit and think, golly, galactosemia is such a blessing. I’m so blessed that we can spell galactosemia, I’m so blessed that Annie will be following a strict diet for life, and that she may have challenges ahead of her that we can’t even imagine right now. If only everyone could experience such a blessing…those of you without galactosemia in your lives are really missing out.

Of course not.

But would I trade a galactosemia-free life for toothless grins? Have you heard my Annie giggle? Nobody is perfect. Annie has ten fingers and ten toes. She has her sight. She has her hearing. There are SO many things that can go wrong with us, what’s a little galactosemia? Or Down Syndrome, or Cystic Fibrosis, or blindness, or a really bad attitude? Everyone has a story, this one is ours.

Galactosemia is not a blessing. If I could prevent Annabelle from having so much as a bad hair day, you can bet I would. But Annie is a blessing. She’s a big bundle of sloppy kisses, warm cuddles, bright smiles with a set of pipes that can wake the whole neighborhood when she feels like letting’ loose. She’s got Dad’s face and feet, and Mom’s thighs (sorry kid) and stubbornness. She’s everything to us, and oh yeah, she happens to be galactosemic too.

So for anyone who hasn’t experienced anything but “winners” and “keepers” - I can tell you, a little adversity isn’t that bad. And I could go on forever about this topic, but my baby is working on crawling and I don’t want to miss another minute.