Where do I begin? Simply put, our purpose is to honor Jensen’s life. Jensen’s life taught us so much, it is hard to put it all into words. But we will try.
We learned the true meaning of love. A love that is so pure and unconditional it moves us to tears. We learned about Down syndrome (Ds) and how uneducated we were up until we had no other option but to become educated. We learned about the sheer beauty there is in the life of a child or a person with Ds. We learned what it means to have compassion, kindness and understanding. And how important these qualities are in life, and especially to those who are misunderstood by society at large.
We’ve learned the harsh reality of life. How your future can be stripped away in a second. We’ve learned about loss and the unimaginable pain and devastation that comes from losing a child. We’ve learned about community, support and friendship from others. How these qualities go a long way when you’re completely broken and grief-stricken. And we’re learning about life after loss. What do you even do after you lose your child? Where do you begin again, and how do you pick up the pieces?
For us, we want to carry on what Jensen has taught us. We could have chosen to be silent and to not put our story out into the world. But after all that has happened, Jensen’s life has utterly and completely transformed us. We feel compelled to share all that we have learned from him, and the love we have for him. When Jensen died, our love didn’t. And this is a way for us to show our love for him from afar.
We want to spread love and kindness and create change in the world. The only way to do that is to act. We are sharing our story to bring about awareness about Down syndrome, and to promote acceptance and inclusion. We also want to share our story on life after baby loss. This blog is to create a platform for understanding. We will honor him through acts of kindness, whether grand or small. All for Jensen.
honoringjensen.com 