Some more thoughts. AND an awesome video.

I love this video. I have watched in numerous times and feel the Spirit of Christ-like love that this young boy has for someone who may not be "like" him.

Watching this always reminds me of MF. She has cerebral palsy, although a milder version. In the latest pictures that I have received of her, she is in a wheelchair and has braces on her legs. While I knew that she did not walk well, it made it more real to see these pictures of her. I know she will need constant care, but as each day goes by, I get more and more anxious to bring her home.

I hope that she is blessed with people in her life that will be able to see past her differences and love her for who she is, like Spencer in this video.

I look back on my own life and hope and pray that I wasn't an additional burden to those around me who were suffering alone because they were different. There is one boy in particular I remember who went to Elementary School, Junior High, and High School with me who was developmentally delayed. Most kids just stayed away from him, though some were mean and teased him. I was one who just stayed away. I really regret this now. Why couldn't I have shown him more love? Why couldn't I have been his friend? The image I have of him in my mind's eye is him sitting in a corner, always alone. No one deserves that.

A few people have asked how I feel our children will do having a sister who is developmentally delayed and how it will affect them. I hope that they learn love, compassion, and service. I hope that MF will feel that she always has a friend in each of them. I hope that they will be the ones to stand up for her when others may be mean or tease her because she is different. I hope they will be her advocates, her champions, her support. I can only see having her in our family as a large positive for them and their outlook on others who are not like them, whether that be someone of a different race, someone who speaks another language, or someone who is disabled in some way. I don't want them to be like I was- ignoring others around them because they don't know what else to do. I want them to be friends to the loners. Friends to the disabled. Friends to those that no one else wants to befriend.

The world needs more people like Spencer. I want to be one of them. I want my children to be some of them as well.