The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Filtering Friends, 5MFSN and DS Awareness Month

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October is in fact Down's Syndrome Awareness Month. I thought I'd better mention it to make sure you're aware. So, there you go.

I don't write a huge amount about DS on this blog because, well, after 10 and a half years of Meg, I don't think about it that much. Most of what I write about Meg is just writing about family stuff.

However, more recently I've been making monthly contributions to 5 Minutes for Special Needs - a community blog/website dedicated to ideas, opinions, experiences and words of wisdom and insight for parents, carers and people associated with those who have special needs of one kind or another.

This has given me the opportunity to reflect a bit more on the way Meg has affected our lives when it comes to the DS.

And with my 42nd birthday looming in a couple of weeks this time I've been thinking about how Meg, and people's reactions to her, affect who becomes a closer friend rather than just an acquaintance.

So if you're interested, pop over and read Filtering Friends, and leave a comment if one occurs to you.

In the meantime, as it is Down's Syndrome Awareness Month, let me make you aware of the grouping on my sidebar called, "With a Dash of Something Extra..." Here you will find links to sites of people who are parents to children with DS. Some have exquisite photos, some are quite political and a couple are not written in English.

Randomly choose one or two and go and read a few posts.

Oh, and feel free to ask any questions.
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12 comments

MikeP said...

I was recently chastised by someone for using the apostrophe S in Down Syndrome/Down's Syndrome.

Are you familiar with the book by Michael Berube, Life As We Know It, about his Down Syndrome son, Jamie?

Kim Ayres said...

Down's with an apostrophe is the British way of spelling it. In the US, it's just Down Syndrome.

I'm not familiar with that book. I'll just go & look it up

Eryl Shields said...

Once I've checked a few more things off my to-do list I'll have a look at that side bar of yours, and read a few blogs. Hopefully it will still be October. I'll need to clear some of my workload so I can come to you birthday with a clear conscience.

Eryl Shields said...

Your!

savannah said...

after i put the MITM on his flight, i'll come back and read more, sugar! when exactly is your birthday?
xoxo

Kim Ayres said...

Eryl - bring it with you :)

Savannah - 25th October, although you could have found it on Facebook easily enough :)

savannah said...

you caught me out on that one, didn't you, sugar? but looking at facebook would be i'd have to remember the password... tis easier now to remember your b-day is 2 days have my daughter! ;) xoxo

Anonymous said...

I too will head over to read more another day (it's our Thanksgiving weekend right now, so probably Tuesday!) but I just wanted to drop in and say that no, there's no Samson & Delilah situation here...I just have a new blog home. Click me. :)

Unknown said...

I thought it was a good post and seems like a good way to filter friends. (I'm even thinking of it as a good way to filter presidential candidates ;-)) Quit throwing tomatoes at me.

Seriously though, if people have no tolerance for others with differences, I don't have much use for them. Of course most of them are my relatives so I have to stay in touch but...

Kim Ayres said...

Savannah - if I'm 2 days after your daughter, she's the same day as my brother, and the day before my nephew. For some reason we seem to have quite an autumn clump of birthdays in our family

Freakazojd - Just been over to visit - hope you have fun in the new place :)

Carole - it's true - it's not easy to be tolerant of the intolerant.

Jeff said...

Good post on 5 min Kim as always. Now who the heck on that list is political....lol

Wish I was in the area for your birthday youngin...I would buy you a shot and a pint down at the pub.

Peace

Kim Ayres said...

A shot AND a pint? I'd probably fall over - very low alcohol tolerance these days. However, your more than welcome to join the celebrations if you can make it over :)

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