Stepping outside the box

It's so easy to stay in a place where you are comfortable and feel safe.  Why would you ever want to do anything that takes you out of that comfort zone and throws you into a place or a situation where you are scared, nervous or totally uncomfortable?  I have always lived my life with my "security blanket" right in my hands.  I'm definitely not one to step outside the box.  If something is scary or uncomfortable, I try to avoid it at all costs.  I would much rather pretend that I didn't see something than confront my fears.  But the truth is, this world is full of things that make us uncomfortable and most of the time our feelings of being uncomfortable or scared are based on the lack of knowledge we have about life and people.  I read this post that another man wrote and I imagined myself, not to long ago, thinking the same things.

Communication is something that I worry about with Sophia.  As her mother, I know what she wants.  I know what makes her happy, sad, and mad.  I know how to comfort her and make her feel better.  I know what all her babbles mean and we have our own communication between the two of us right now, but what worries me is that I'm not always going to be there with her to know what she wants or needs all the time.  I want her to be able to express those needs, and be understood, by everyone.  It scares me to think that not only will Sophia not be accepted by certian people because of the fact that she simply has Down syndrome, but to not be accepted, or even recognized, because she may not be able communicate the same way most of us can, hangs a little heavy on my heart.  I don't want people to be scared or uncomfortable around my daughter and therefore dismiss her or pretend like she isn't even there.