My Little Gardner

This is an experience I shared shortly after Bridger's birth that I've been meaning to post for some time now. It provides me with great insight into Bridger's purpose in our family and the great blessing that he is to us. Several have asked me to share it on the blog...

Not one day after I had broken the news of Bridger's birth and diagnosis on our blog, my Aunt Gerlinde called me from St. George, Utah to congratulate us and to tell me a story of her own. As a retired educator in the public school system for the past 30+ years, she acknowledged that thousands of children have stepped into and out of her life. She was blessed to have taught a couple children over the years who had Down syndrome. "These kids," she said, "stepped into my life, but never step out." This includes a boy named Jason who Gerlinde taught in 5th grade during the early 1980's.

One summer day, several years later, Jason and his father showed up at Gerlinde's front door unannounced. Jason had recently graduated from high school and had been working for his dad's yard care business. With a great big smile and in his labored speech, Jason said something more profound than he even knew. -- Even Gerlinde hadn't sensed the deeper meaning behind what she was about to tell me. As the father of a new baby with Down syndrome, I was profoundly moved by the meaning of Jason's proposition. -- Jason said, "Mrs. B, your lawn is the pits! Let me be your gardner."

Let me be your gardner!

It hit me. In a very real way, Bridger was sent to me to be my gardner. And over the next several decades, he will pluck from the recesses of my heart and mind the weeds of prejudice, misunderstanding, intolerance and selfishness. He will replace them with pastures of patience, love, abundance and joy! This was our Heavenly Father's way of gently putting his hand on my shoulder and whispering into my ear, "Todd, my son, your lawn is the pits! Please, let me be your gardner!"

Bridger is doing so well, post-surgery, that you wouldn't ever know he had it (except for the sizeable incision down the front of his chest). We are so blessed to live in a time and place when modern medicine and technology are readily available to give little Bridger such increased chances at success in life. This "routine" heart repair, in fact, likely doubled his life expectancy.

Everyone in our little family is affected on a daily basis by the kindness that each of us -- and each of you -- extends to him. Bridger's therapists (physical, occupational, developmental, speech) all agree that he is doing significantly better than they expected at each stage. We are grateful to all of the prayers and visits to the temple that you have offered on his behalf. We continue to witness from you and others the Christ-like love and compassion that He admonished in us. May God continue to bless and direct your lives as he has enlighted ours!