Wednesday, March 04, 2009

From Fear to Awe

I've been reading the book An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor. Many things I've read in it have resonated with me, but there is one particular phrase that keeps replaying in my head.

In a chapter on reverence--the recognition of something greater than the self--she writes about "making the passage from fear to awe".

Making the passage from fear to awe
describes so perfectly what happens at the exact moment we realize that Down syndrome is not going to wreck our lives.

Most of us wouldn't want to re-live the initial diagnosis or the months following. But somewhere along the way, the person that is your child begins to emerge and the words "Down syndrome" begin to have less and less importance.

The fear of what life will be like fades as that life unfolds.

And then there is this person, who is so much more than a diagnosis, who you begin to see as such.

And you stand in awe...

9 comments:

  1. I love this post. Yes, it is awe inspiring as you child becomes bigger than the diagnosis--at least in your own eyes. Now, if the rest of the world would only see what we see; our children's future in this world would seem a whole lot brighter.

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  2. This is why I'm blogging...

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  3. Yes, exactly. I love what Chris said as well...

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  4. Perfectly said- so darn true. Stepping away from the fear and being able to see the illusion of safety in the world and embrace the awe is the way to go!

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  5. I see the "illusion of safety" as the promise of safety...which comes with the understanding that we are all perfectly made.

    Ditto what Chris said about the rest of the world seeing what we see. We need to share what we know...

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  6. Just want to let you know that I finished reading this WONDERFUL book last night and I LOVE it. So many things resonated with me too. Thank you so much for sharing ~

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  7. I loved it, too. I ordered three copies for friends just last week :)...

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  8. One of your employees shared your blog with me after learning that my unborn son might have Ds. Between crying and laughing, I decided that the possible diagnosis doesn't matter. Thank you for that.

    (Linked you in my most recent post. http://samkanatzar.blogspot.com/2010/11/from-fear-to-awe-when-i-decided-it.html )

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