27
Apr
The Perfect Addition
by Ashley Sepanski
0 Comments | Posted by thatgirl in Birds and Bees, Living Life, Making Waves, Take Care, That Girl
Image courtesy of Three-sisters-vineyard.co.uk
Kaylee Moore’s birth brought about a lot of changes for her family. The Moores now officially had four little girls, all brunettes and all with the curiosity of cats. The office had to be turned into a bedroom and the sitting room into an office while the living room morphed into a storage facility/playground. The Moores were beyond baby proofing at this point, having had three generations to practice and perfect parenting skills, so they welcomed the final addition to their family home with overwhelming joy and love. There was one small detail that made Kaylee a little bit different. She wasn’t just the youngest Moore; she was the only Moore with down syndrome.
The Moore girls have always been a close group. Separated by only a few years, the oldest, Kathryn, always felt a certain motherly love for her siblings. When Kaylee came along, Kathryn imagined she would have to look after her more closely than her other sisters. She found herself pleasantly surprised to see that Kaylee took on a life and spirit of her own in no time. She possessed the same curiosity, the same energy and the same quirks as the other Moore girls. It was almost as if she wasn’t different at all.
As time passed, Kaylee grew. She attended school, played sports and made plans for the future. Before Kathryn could realize how time had flown by, she was graduating high school and Kaylee was entering the fourth grade. The decision to attend school away from home was hard, and Kathryn’s sisters were not keen to adjust to life without her, but in the fall she left for the University of Dayton and experienced college life in ways she never imagined.
The excitement of new classes, friends and surroundings mixed uncomfortably with a concern for her baby sisters, especially Kaylee. She knew her two middle siblings would be fine without her, and she knew they would lookout for Kaylee, but she couldn’t help feeling like she was missing out on something. And worst of all, like she was letting Kaylee down.
As homework, tests and lack of a car kept Kathryn away, she feared things were rapidly changing at home. She worried she wouldn’t recognize Kaylee the next time she got home and about the person Kaylee would become.
Trips home have shown Kathryn for the second time not to doubt her baby sister. Although she still struggles with everyday tasks, Kaylee never lost her Moore spirit and never forgets about Kathryn. If anything, Kathryn’s decision to leave home only gave Kaylee more drive to live a normal life.
Now Kathryn doesn’t worry. She knows her family has something special and knows despite Kaylee’s condition, she’ll still live an above-average life. They talk on the phone every week, and Kathryn couldn’t be more proud to hear her sister say, “When I grow up, I want to be like you, but it’ll be better because I’ll be me.”