Am I Embarassed by Hailey?

A couple of weeks ago right before I headed in the car to pick up Hailey from preschool, I caught this blog post from Ellen Stumbo.  It struck me hard.  It hurt hard...all the way to my soul.  I cried....all the way to her preschool.  I couldn't stop.  I guess it has been a long time since I even thought about what others think of Hailey while we are out.  Yes, we still get pity looks every now and then, but for the most part, she gets smiles and positive interactions.  I can't believe people believe that I would be embarrassed by my daughter.

Of all the words that come to mind, embarrassment is not one of them.  Love, admiration, pride, joy...those are the words that come to mind when I think of Hailey.  I love her just as much as we do the boys.  I admire her determination, her unconditional love, her joy.

The pride I feel for her is overwhelming sometimes.  She fought so hard to breathe and eat with her heart defect.  She rocked her open heart surgery.

With low muscle tone, every gross motor milestone she achieves takes much more work and effort than it does for a typical child, but yet...she NEVER gives up.  Low muscle tone also plays a role in speaking.  Slowly but surely she is forming clearer words every day.  The girl never quits.

Oh, the joy.  Her smile lights a room and her laughter is contagious.  She brings so much joy to everyone around her.   

So, no...embarrassment has no place in our life..not in our world.  So, when you see me out and about...don't wonder.  I am not embarrassed by my child.  You might want to smile and walk away quickly because I am probably going to talk your ear off about how fantastic she is.

How could anyone possibly be embarrassed by this beautiful little girl?