On Saturday, as I was talking to a new acquaintance, I mentioned that my two-year old had Down Syndrome. It was relevant to the conversation, not just thrown out there. Her face immediately changed, that kind of downward turn, and there was a sympathetic "oh". I was .... I'm not sure surprised is the correct way to put it. That reaction was nowhere on my range of expectation of her reaction, I guess I was actually not expecting any reaction, at least not anymore than if I had said my two-year-old has blue eyes, or something like that. Accepting that Sam has ds has never been that kind of issue with me, at least not yet - not the fact that he actually has it. (please, please, PLEASE never use the term "suffers from down syndrome") There are certain things that I feel the need to be more aware of with him, I've mentioned some of them before. But those are just part of who he his. Anyway, when she reacted that way (she's a lovely woman, by the way) and I realized it, I think I just sort of waved my hand and said something like, "Oh, no, that's not a bad thing." And I realize that I mean it. So I don't need pity, or sympathy. I certainly don't need the - "Oh, what special people you must be!" - yeah, right, just don't spend a day a my house. My mother-of-the-year trophy would never be awarded. Samuel is my son. Period. And that makes me very, very happy.