She Needs Us

By Esti Levitansky

Submitted by: M.R.

A feeble cry shatters the still air

Another child born

Joy, happiness, ecstasy, laughter-

                 Crash!

Suddenly our world comes tumbling down!

Hushed whispers there,

                  tears falling here

What is wrong with out beautiful girl?

“Down Syndrome,” the doctor mechanically pronounces

“nothing will become of her,” he says

                        But-she-needs-us…

Problems arise from the start

everything so foreign

but

as the days fly by,

she step by step,

becomes a part of our routine

New therapies introduced every day

strangers welcome in our home

                 as we grasp onto any straw within our reach

“Do something,” we cry

anything------

to prove the doctor wrong

and we try to help and do our share

                        For-she-needs-us…

Months pass by,

slowly, slowly   

we learn to love.  To care.  To share.

We learn the joy of giving-

and receiving in return.

Joy resounding---

                can it be?

Our baby- our miracle-

Walking. Talking. Dancing. Laughing. Running. Jumping. Singing. Playing.

                        Yet-she-still-needs-us…

Eagerly we look forward to her first day of school-

she goes to a real school- like me and you

and she learns like everyone else

and she plays, and laughs, and cries…

                  like everyone else

and,

like everyone else,

                        she-needs-us…

Slowly ever so slowly,

wounded hearts start to heal

and we learn-

that there is more than what meets the eye

and we learn to love from her

and we love to learn from her

and

gradually…

                        We need her.

                                                -Esti Levitansky