What are you thinking?
I would really love to be able to glance into my children's heads periodically throughout any given day and see exactly what they are thinking. Wouldn't you, moms? Wouldn't you just love to see what your child was thinking when they poured soda on the rug in a well-thought-out, circular pattern resembling a crop circle? Wouldn't you love to see what they were thinking as they pulled the guinea pig out of his cage and proceeded to throw the pine bedding throughout your bedroom (where at least there is hard flooring unlike other parts of the house)? Wouldn't you love to see what they were thinking as they lined up cheerios across the living room floor? Wouldn't you love to see what they were thinking when they painted the couch with chocolate pudding and a glaze brush? Wouldn't you love to see what they were thinking while they sped their sister's wheelchair through the house and then brake checked it screeching to a halt?(oh, wait, that was just at my house. lol)
Something I would love to see is how my daughter with Down Syndrome processes information. Sometimes I watch her try to figure something out and you can almost "see" the wheels in her brain turning as she starts to "get it" and then you can see each little step to her processing that little bit of information. I watched her today as she sat trying to replicate every move her sister had made with her toy castle and little people. Auriana sat down at the little toy castle, just as Kylee had left it. She picked up the little princess doll, looked at it closely, then sat it down. Then, she picked up the little prince doll, looked at it closely, then sat it down. Then proceeded to do this with each doll that Kylee had played with, in the order she had used them. Then I watched her as she placed each doll carefully in the exact places Kylee had put them and then she would mumble little sing-songie phrases to herself as if trying to say or sing whatever Kylee had said or sung. She had been sitting in the floor watching Kylee the whole time and had remembered everything she had done, every little move she made, to the mark. She looks up to Kylee so much! Well, I wasn't the only one to notice this... Kylee noticed too. Auriana began singing this little mumbled "nah gah nah nah gah nah gah nah nah" to the slightly off tune of "Bippity Boppity Boo" from Cinderella. Kylee, who was watching her little sister but trying to appear not to be, stood up and walked over to Auriana at that point and began singing the song and making the prince and princess dance as the castle. Then she looked at me and said in amazement "Mom, Auriana was doing exactly what I did with the castle. That's so cute." This is one of those "proud mom" moments!
Of course, later on in the evening Auriana started singing her own song while we were dressing for bed and Kylee swore that she said "A B C D E F G come on baby shake your booty" Hahahaha.... Kylee and I both got a good laugh out of that!
It is a proven fact that individuals with Down Syndrome do have slower cognition than that of the average person, so it is understandable why I can sometimes watch my daughter figure something out as if in slow motion (pick something up, look at it, think what to do with it, then complete the action. Rather than all in one continuous graceful step.) Now, there has been talk in the news lately and in the medical world about drugs that can improve cognition in individuals with Down Syndrome. For example, in this article talks about a researcher who is using Alzheimer's drugs to treat and help improve memory in individuals with Down Syndrome. And the Down Syndrome conference I attended back in the Spring discussed another drug trial which is taking place as stated here using a specifically formulated drug called RG1662.
So, I have started thinking. Even if they could, without a doubt, improve the memory and cognitive functioning of my daughter (who tests at about 2 years behind her age level), would I want it? If her cognition were improved, would she have the same sweet disposition about her? Did God create her with the cognition she has for a purpose? Is it "who she is"? I guess the answers to those questions I would have to be able to see inside of God's mind to answer.
Sometimes I feel like Auriana knows things that other people don't know because of how she is. Like she is closer to knowing the secrets of the world than we are. As if she can sense spiritual presence. I believe this is due to her inability to reason it all away. I believe that a lot of things we reason away before we let ourselves believe it, but since she doesn't have that ability she knows more.
There is only one person who can see what we are thinking!
Psalm 139:4
"Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether."
