Dance in his Shoes

When I lost my brother 3 years ago I was devastated.  He was kind, easy-going, talented and just happened to have an extra chromosome.  He never let his Down syndrome or anything else get in the way of pursuing his dreams.  This blog is not only about growing up with a brother with Down syndrome, it is about accepting people for who they are and finding joy in our differences.  It is about enjoying life and living in the present.

Growing up and even in adulthood I always felt I had to watch out for my brother and teach him about the complexities of life he wasn’t able to understand.  But I had it all wrong.  He was put on this earth to teach me the simplicity of life and not pay attention to the pressures put on you by society, but relish in your individualism and believe in yourself.

The title of this blog is based on the old proverb: “Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes”, but my brother Brian would have wanted you to dance in his shoes.  Not only because he loved to dance and was very good at it (I might be biased as the proud sister), but also because he loved to enjoy life and encouraged everyone around him to love life as well.  So….

Let’s Dance.