30 July 2010

Ruth Esther

Today I decided to get in the pool for Sheridan's water therapy. I usually sit on the side of the pool and chit-chat the whole hour with his PT. But today, I took the plunge. Sheridan was eager to get in the pool early so I obliged by getting in so we could play for 10 minutes while we waited for his session to start.

And that's when we met a sweet, 70-something-year-old woman who was walking back and forth, slowly, along the side of the pool (I later found out she recently had hip surgery and was walking in the water as part of her recovery).

The moment she laid eyes on us she paused and watched us carefully.

As soon as we were shoulder deep in the water she stopped me and asked, "is he a Downs baby?"

"He has Down syndrome, yes," I said (always modeling person-first language, y'all!).

"Oh! I had a Downs baby, too!"

And I smiled.

That's when I learned about Ruth Esther, a woman who had Down syndrome, lived with her parents, loved gardening, and most of all, loved sewing. She was such an accomplished seamstress, she entered her creative pieces into the California State Fair and won a second place silver medal... twice.

I learned that Ruth died eight years ago at the age of 33 - very young. And I was deeply saddened for her mom. She said Ruth had "lung problems" her whole life and one night simply died in her sleep.

"If you have to go, that's the way to go. Trust me, I'm an old woman and I can only hope I get to go the way Ruth did," she said with a chuckle and glassy eyes.

She told me that Sheridan would be my greatest joy in life. The light who brightens my world.

I told her that he already is.

14 comments:

  1. thank you so much for sharing this story with us. i teared up while reading about this woman's ruth esther. isn't it amazing the people you meet whose lives have been touched by someone with Down syndrome? I swear - before having Whitney, I only knew one person who had Down syndrome, she was older than my brother, sisters and I and she went to the same pool as us during the summer (I swear she was there EVERY day) - now I have met so many wonderful people who have a child with Down syndrome. Crazy how much things can change in just a couple of years!

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  2. What sweet words from a loving mother. Ruth Esther was one very loved daughter. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. That brings tears to my eyes. What a wonderful encounter.

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  5. Had to repost...found a typo...I'm a nut about that stuff!

    Total tears here and from such a simple sweet interaction without many words but with so much love. Oh I will treasure the years I have with my children and the slight possibility of shorter years with Joaquin and Sofia. Life really is so short in the grand scheme of things. Thank you for sharing this lovely story.

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  6. What a great moment, thank you for sharing it with us. I love meeting moms like her.

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  7. oh tears here too! What a blessing to meet Ruth Esther's Mom!

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  8. That's a very touching story. I haven't had an encounter like that yet. I know it will happen when I least expect it.

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  9. Such a wonderful and uplifting story - thank you so much for sharing!

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  10. What a sweet encounter. And what a wonderful testament - a mom who kept and raised and who got great joy from a child with Ds 41 years ago. Not common then, I think. Love it.

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  11. I'm glad she had the courage to talk to you. I think too often people are afraid and don't know what to say. Such a great story. Thank you for sharing this!

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  12. Thank you for sharing your encounter! It's just what I needed on a tough day!

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  13. That brings tears to my eyes. I had a similar experience a few weeks ago with a woman who "had" a little boy with Ds. My heart hurts for these mama's who don't have their little sunshines with them anymore. :(

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