Mother's Day

This year's Mother's Day was quite special.  Not because of breakfast in bed, a gift card for a massage or a handmade gift from my children.  Though in the past, those have been beautiful ways for my family's appreciation to be shown.  But this year, this year was different.  This is what made my Mother's Day so special.  

This is my cousin Eric who is now 18 years old.  Eric was born with Down Syndrome and when my Aunt and Uncle were given the hard news at 5 months pregnant, they had a choice to make. They could walk down the is path knowing it would be very hard or they could take the "easy" way out.  You have got to watch this video to hear more of their story.  
http://vimeo.com/95133147 (password: Baptism2014)

Eric is such a happy person who is always smiling or giving high-fives.  He is a big fan of wrestling my kids to the ground or bouncing them high on the trampoline (both of which my kids are big fans of as well!).  And no, you can't always understand what he is saying but one thing you do know is that he loves Jesus.  At church, he is raising his hands in praise or going up to others to pray for them.  
And I don't only admire Eric for the person he has become but I admire Uncle Joe and Aunt Eileen for guiding him to become who he has become.  They have taken the gift of Eric and ran with him.  They have raised him to know Jesus and have not held him back because of his challenges.  They make him a part of everything like feeding the homeless and ministering to others at church or in their neighborhood.  Last year, they even went to Africa on a missions trip as a family! They take his hand and make him rise to be all that God has called him to be.  

To see this life be baptized today was beautiful, amazing, awe-inspiring...to name only the few words that can even begin to describe the emotions.