Today is the 25th anniversary of my celebrating World Down Syndrome Day. I unknowingly became a member of the fictitious club, Moms of Kids with Down Syndrome, when Carolyn arrived in 1998 rocking an extra chromosome. When I joined the club, I initially spent pre-internet days searching for books, teachers, and other parents to train me on how to be a good member. But the reality was that Carolyn always held the key to membership success-Be Brave Be Yourself.

While I was worrying about teaching Carolyn to learn to walk, talk and read, Carolyn was busy being herself. She grew up watching and learning from her siblings, laughing with friends, and pretending with dolls filling our home with joy. Around the age of 8, she had surgery which propelled her to adopt the phrase, “I am brave”. From then on, she would report back after every doctor visit to her favorite elementary school teacher, Mrs. Sompolski, “I was brave, are you proud of me?”
Along her journey, her bravery continued to pour into all new situations because being herself was never going to hold her back.

Once while learning to cook she blew up a package of teriyaki sauce in the microwave but was brave enough to try again. Then there were bigger events, such as interviewing and being hired as a BaRISEta at Rise Coffee & Tea. She embraced learning to run the register and serve coffee all while making lifelong friends with the customers. Her bravery pours over to her passion of performing too. In fact, just this fall she took the microphone and sang to hundreds while on stage at a brewery in midtown during a fundraiser for Songs for Kids. Her sister and I looked on from the audience in awe whispering, “I’d never have the nerve to do that”.

Don’t we all need a lesson from Carolyn? From a new student in middle school having to walk into a lunchroom for the first time to a mom going back to the workplace after 18 years of raising her kids, we all need a little dose of bravery to step out and step up and just be ourselves. So today hug your favorite person with Down Syndrome and spend your day being like Carolyn-Be Brave Be Yourself.