Finley, You Make Me Better

When I was 13 weeks pregnant, we found out that our baby was going to be born with Down syndrome. Naturally, we were scared and overwhelmed at the news. It took us some time to process and grieve what we thought our life would look like in the future. We experienced all the emotions, and I’m thankful we had time to do so, because when that little baby was placed in my arms, the only thing I felt was deep love. And since that day, Finley has only brought joy and light to our family. 

He has the brightest smile and the cutest belly laugh. He adores his siblings and happily says “dada” and “mama” all day long. We cheer louder when he reaches a milestone and celebrate longer when he passes a “test”. He has taught us to be thankful for every little moment. Finley has not taken away from our future; he has only added to it. An empty nest no longer seems appealing to my husband and me. As we think of our future, we can’t imagine it not being the three of us. Even his therapies have enriched our lives as we have met wonderful people who love on our boy. All of those fears we experienced from that diagnosis phone call have dissipated and have been replaced with joy and a profound love that we could never explain. Finley is a treasure to our family, and we would not want him any other way. We will forever be grateful that God chose us to be his family. 

Here is what I want the world to know about my son:

Finley’s worth is not found in what society says about him. His worth is not found in his abilities or disabilities. His worth is not found in what he looks like. His worth is not found in what he may or may not accomplish. His worth is not found in how many chromosomes he has. His worth is not found in what his family says about him. No, his worth is found in the truth that he is made in the very image of our Creator. His life has value and purpose because the God who created the heavens and the earth breathed life into his lungs and stamped him with His likeness. He is loved by God, and that is where Finley’s worth is found. We love this sweet boy, and he is special because he reveals the Master’s touch.

Anna, Finley’s Mom (North Carolina)