Life is made more meaningful through connections

On September 16, 2015 we laid eyes on other little girls with Emelyn's same DDX3X diagnosis for the very first time. It was the same day we received Emelyn's diagnosis and through social media we instantly connected through a private Facebook group. The group wasn't  large, since her diagnosis was so newly discovered, but it was like winning the lottery. Seeing those little girls' faces was such an incredible blessing. I can't fully put into words why seeing their faces and their beautiful smiles brought comfort to us. Maybe it was as simple as knowing there are other families on this same journey and knowing we weren't alone. Little did I know where we'd be less than a year later.

Today, April, 10, 2016, is another memorable day. Today we met many of those same little girls who brought comfort and belonging to us that day seven months ago. Not only that, we met their moms, dads, and other meaningful people in their lives. Life is made more meaningful by connections and today was about just that. 

There are about 20 families represented at this weekend gathering. Our girls are all wildly different, and yet so very similar. Meeting them, interacting with them - it's a priceless experience. I plan to recap the entire weekend in much more detail, but I couldn't help pausing to acknowledge the significance of today. And to wonder, what will be possible a year from now?