Last night I went to bed with a big smile on my face. I was thinking about how I can feel changes coming just around the corner.
It all started a little more than a year ago with a young boy being noticed in quite a few print advertisements in the United States. It was the same boy who had been seen in some ads for Target and Nordstrom. Seeing the ads sparked a feeling of disappointment in me. Not for the young boy Ryan who has Down Syndrome-I was actually thrilled to see him up there in the circulars right next to the typical kids knowing that the retail giants didn’t make fuss over the fact that he was included in their campaign. It all seemed like it was pretty much the next step…RIGHT? My disappointment came from the fact that I felt that the Philippines was light years away from being able to boast of such inclusion in advertising.
And then this happened last night…
Before getting the kids ready for bed, Nino called us all over to see something he found on the internet. We all gathered around him while Gelli played on the floor.
He played this commercial for us.
We played it again and again. We probably watched it about 3x back to back. It made us all feel really good. In fact, my eldest son said “Mom, I think that’s the best commercial I’ve seen in a long time.” I completely agreed.
I have always wondered if staying here in Manila was a good choice for Gellibean. I contemplated leaving Manila after she was first born, thinking that I needed to be back in NY where I knew how things worked for special kids. Or at least where I had an idea of how they work…
I’m sure that there will be many days where I contemplate whether or not I’m making the correct decisions in raising ALL of my kids. I do this often. It’s what makes me…me. I don’t pretend to know everything, and I’m definitely not an expert at anything more than trying my best…but I do know what makes me feel good.
And this commercial made me feel good.
Kudos to McDonald’s and all those involved with the making of this TVC. Congratulations to Paolo for forging ahead with the support of his loving family.
God placed you here for very special mission ! God bless you, your family specially Gellibean !
Thank you Ebong! I do believe God has a special mission for all of us! Have a great day!
Thanks for sharing this, Michelle. This is a beautiful post.
Thanks Tiff! It really is a beautiful commercial that totally tugged on my heart strings:-) Thanks for dropping by and reading the post!
Hi, I’m nadj from adobo Magazine. I’m doing an article about McDo ‘Kuya’ TVC. Can I quote your blog in the article? If it’s okay with you po. Thanks!
Yes. Of course Nadj. Thank you. Can you please email me the quote you will use and in what context? You can email me at mishaventajado@gmail.com
Hi, Michelle,
I think you’re a great mother, and I love reading your blog. I’m about to be a mother myself, and I can’t wait!
I have a question though. I read about Gellibean and that she has down syndrome, and I read some pieces about your family. This sentence caught my attention:
“I have always wondered if staying here in Manila was a good choice for Gellibean. I contemplated leaving Manila after she was first born, thinking that I needed to be back in NY where…”
Like what you wrote about contemplating leaving Manila for Gellibean. Would that move also benefit the other 3 children? (adjustment of moving, cost of moving from mnl to ny) How do you deal with making decisions for your special child, that may not necessarily be the best decision for the rest? And do the other kids feel that mom’s spending too much time with Gellibean and they get jealous?
Being a mom must be hard, and having a special needs child might be even harder. Kudos to you! And I love the rainbow cupcakes. Makes me want to go to Sonja’s cupcakes now and get one. Hehehe
Thanks Cat for your comments and question 🙂
First-Congratulations! I do hope you are enjoying your pregnancy. Motherhood changed me in so many ways. It’s a journey, and the beauty in that journey is that you are always learning…learning new things about your children and of course about yourself.
I feel parenthood and the decisions we make for our children always have to be made with a balance in mind. After I accepted the fact that Gelli had Down Syndrome, I was able to find a support group which helped me navigate the unchartered waters of being a “Special Parent.” I continue to do my research and am grateful we were able to find competent doctors and therapists who both my husband and I were comfortable with in caring for our daughter.
What I have found is that sometimes, because special parents are always researching for the most current treatments and therapies, we end up sharing information with each other to stay up to date with the best ways to help our children reach their full potential. I even found a yoga teacher who specialized in Yoga For the Special Child.
I don’t think I would be the kind of parent I am, if I didn’t consider every option for my family and weigh those options with the whole family in mind. I try really hard. I know I’m not perfect…actually, far from it…but I also don’t beat myself up. Gelli helped me realize that I didn’t need to be perfect-I just needed to LOVE with intention and continue to live mindfully.
As for the kids-I have always taught my kids that they are a “TEAM.” Gelli is the most precious member of their team and she has actually brought out the nurturing skills of my boys. My eldest daughter was always caring and aware of those around her, but my boys became aware when their baby sister arrived. No one was jealous. Actually, after each child was born I was sure to always include the baby before in caring for their sibling. My boys even researched how to change a diaper on YouTube before their sister was born so that they could help in caring for the newest member of our family.
Now-don’t get me wrong, my boys fight and are pretty typical when it comes to the typical antics of siblings growing up…but none of the kids are jealous of Gellibean. (Thank God for that!) Even now, as I read my comment aloud, my daughter said- “You should tell her that we know that Gellibean needs a little more from you, Mom.” Plus-my kids are older already. My youngest was already 6 years old when his baby sister arrived. He understood what it meant to be the baby for 6 years-and now he gets to baby his little sister.
Thanks for visiting Cat! I loved your question. It really made me think 🙂