National Down Syndrome Awareness Month #1 of 31 of 21

I realize this is also Breast Cancer Awareness month, but it is also Down Syndrome Awareness month. A lot the DS mommies that I have met are doing 31 of 21 on their blogs, facebook..etc and I thought I would follow the trend.  So this is #1 of 31 of 21. The word retarded.  I personally have been guilty of this using this word and various versions of it on occasion.  I didn't think about the impact of the word until I found out that I was having a "reatarded" baby.  I put that in quotes because I never ever considered Olivia retarded. She was my baby...plain and simple. That is how any mom looks at her child regardless of any labels society decides to put on them.  Yes technically children with Down Syndrome are considered mentally retarded. When this term was applied to them it was not a negative term. It just meant that they were slower at accomplishing things sometimes than a typical child. Society changed retareded into a negative term.  Just like the words bitch, ass and bastard.  Each of those terms are now considered curse words that are used to insult someone. Bitch is a female dog. Ass is a donkey. Bastard is a child without a father.  So my challenge on this first day of NDSAM to teach your children, friends and family not to use the word retard to insult one another.  Stop and think about each and every child or adult with special needs (not just Down Syndrome).  How would you feel if it was your child or loved one? Its one word but it does a lot of damage.  Olivia was not "retarded". She was a beautiful loving little girl who earned her angel wings too early and she was is and always be my sweet baby girl.