The Unofficial Greeter of Everywhere

Evie is incredibly social. When the Easter Seals team assessed her earlier this year, social skills had the highest score. Now I don't believe testing and assessments are as good at evaluating us as we'd like them to be, but this score did not come as a surprise to us at all.

Evie has demanded eye contact since she was a tiny newborn. She wants your eyes on her so she can communicate with you in her way. So she can see into your soul. She picks up on energies from others and responds to them, regardless of what is said. She just knows.

She learned to wave this year. It is the sweetest little wave with a wide open hand. No matter where we go, she waves. She waves at everyone, even if they don't see her. She waves and keeps waving if they don't respond to her. Sometimes a smile will do, other times, she takes it up a notch and sticks out her little tongue to see if they will copy her.

Sometimes people don't notice her. There are so many babies around, and not everyone thinks to look at them or even notice. Then there are those who aren't sure how to react to her. They may tentatively smile at her or at me and move on quickly. There are those who will wave back and comment on how sweet or pretty she is. Sometimes people will smile at her and look at her with an expression of pity. That doesn't bother me much anymore. I'm always ready to tell them some version of "don't be sorry, she's incredible" if they ever say they're sorry, but they typically don't. They just don't know. Just like I didn't know. They have no idea how much joy she brings and how happy and capable she is. They have no idea how magically she has turned our world upside down in all of the best ways.

Then there are those who absolutely gush over her. Often they are those who have known someone personally with Down Syndrome. Sometimes they are people who just know that special kids are perfect and recognize the joy. Evie and I met one of those sweet souls yesterday in the local grocery store. She came from another aisle and approached me saying, "I have to see this sweet face." When she saw Evie she got the biggest smile and tears in her eyes and told me that God truly blessed me and said seeing Evie made her whole day. She gushed over Evie for about 30 seconds or so, waving, smiling, blessing her and me with sweet words from her faith.

I tell people often that Evie is the unofficial greeter of everywhere, and boy is she ever! She wants to know people. She wants to make them smile at her, wave back, and copy her when she sticks her tongue way out at them. That makes her happy. I think adults hesitate to stick their tongues out at her sometimes, but I always let them know that she likes it and it's okay. For her, it's communicating joy. It's connecting to people. It's reminding people to be silly and funny and enjoy life.

That's my Evie Kate. The Unofficial Greeter of Everywhere.