The New Zealand Independance Games was held on this weekend - our s0n, who happens to have Downe's Syndrome, was competing in swimming, track and field events with other special needs kids up to 18 years old.
It's our second year of coming - last year was one of the most moving experiences of my life - seeing kids with no arms competing in and winning swimming races, kids with one leg running 100, 200, 500 and 1000 meter running races, just seeing determination and the will to compete - even if they didn't win!
And the culture of the event is amazing!
The applause continues until the last one comes through - sometimes that's the loudest!
...and then there's the parents!
Unsung heros all of them and what a fantastic place for all of us to compare notes and model our approaches.
A time for all of us to be normal, apart from the world that classifies people with disabilities as being strange and different.
A time for our hearts to open, our voices to sing and shout and for us all to stand tall and proud!
A time for our kids to spend time with their friends, to be athaletes, to compete and to all be winners!
It was a blast!
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