Have you ever noticed that people are everywhere?
Not just people, but people who want to connect?
Kellen and I have been trying out a couple of new places around town. Smaller, local businesses where people seem friendlier. It's part of Operation: Expand Kellen's World.
Today we walked into a small shop to get a smoothie and before we even got to the counter, a young woman who worked there asked me if Kellen had "Downs." When I said yes, she told me that her 16-year-old brother has Down syndrome. We got into a conversation about her brother and about Kellen, and another customer overheard us and asked whether I knew a couple of her employees at her daycare business who also have disabilities. They are only a couple of years older than Kellen and I do happen to know them, so she and I also had a nice conversation. She was telling me how much the daycare kids love these young women.
I left the shop knowing we had just made a couple of new acquaintances.
Could the 18-year-old behind the counter be a companion or a potential respite provider for Kellen?
Would the woman who owns the daycare be a possible employer someday?
Who knows.
Time will tell.
In the meantime it's great to get out in our community and practice networking. Someday it may come in handy.
5 comments:
Lovely to hear your 'operataion' is going well and is proving so positive.
seems to be a uniquely American phenomenon.
Life as it was meant to be. It does take a village, no matter how old the child is.
That's so swell. I am a shy person who has been forced to socialize with all of the folks who want to know more or get to know my daughter better. I call it Operation Mom!
Good for you & Kellen! Nice to find some people to connect with who have a sense where you and Kellen are coming from.
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