Stories of Wil: The Dance
Wil and Sarah Stommen, February 2019
Submitted by Christie Taylor
Wil is a 14-year-old boy with Down syndrome. He is the little brother, by 20 months, to twin sisters, Katherine and Elizabeth. Wil mom, Christie, knew very little about Down syndrome when Wil was diagnosed shortly after his birth. It didn鈥檛 take long for Christie to realize how enriching life with Down syndrome is. Embracing this newfound life, Christie was compelled to share her experiences with Wil. Christie desire, in sharing these stories, is to promote an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the amazing capabilities of individuals with Down syndrome.
When Wil was born, I wondered on his differences. How would they separate him from making friends? How would his differences separate him from living a full life? What I didn鈥檛 know was Wil differences would become woven so deeply into our daily lives that they would be our norm.
One example is Wil dancing. When the mood strikes, Wil busts a move down the aisles of Target, Busch or Meijer. Wil gets jazzed going shopping with his sisters, because there are mirrors hanging everywhere to dance in front of.听
Chopping vegetables with me for dinner is always a hip wiggling activity for Wil, and a car ride another opportunity to belt a tune out the window. 听
Wil had the music in him for so long, it ingrained in our lives. I forget that not everyone dances whenever the mood strikes, or bounces to the beat in their car seat, until a stranger gives Wil a smile as he rocks out to his own tune. I smile inwardly to myself, as I smile outwardly back to the stranger; how one-dimensionally I once viewed what differences meant.听
Wil dear friend, Sarah Stommen, is a ballerina. Sarah is graceful in every sense of the word. She is tall and lithe, and practically floats on air when she walks. Wil has low muscle tone so he lands flat-footed with a slight side-to-side gait. I love watching the two friends walk together, because they could not carry themselves more differently. Sarah, however, always makes a point to walk at Wil speed, and when he talks, she leans over so they are eye-to-eye. Then, I can almost predict at some point during their conversation, Sarah will throw her head back laughing at something Wil shared with her. And they always find time to share a dance. It been that way since preschool.听
On Wil 14th birthday, Sarah wrote in a beautifully-crafted handmade card to him:听
鈥淚 am so lucky to know you. You are so amazing and always make me laugh. Goodness, you鈥檝e gotta be the funniest person on this Earth! Your laugh is so contagious. I always have fun walking around with you and talking about lots of things. Hope you have the best birthday bud!鈥听
As I read Sarah words, my eyes welled with tears. I now wonder, these 14 years later, how on earth did the differences I once so worried on become a true blessing? That this life, that such friends, have woven themselves into the dance of our lives as our norm.听
At one time differences stopped me in my tracks. Now, all I see are blessings in the dance.听
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