Joy # 23

Well technically this happened yesterday, but I didn't get around to posting, so it gets to count for today. I'm still happy about it, so it works, right? :) I went to the pharmacy to fill Ethan's prescription yesterday, but they were running way behind, so it took longer than I expected and I finished my shopping and was sitting on the bench waiting. And older gentleman came up and sat next to me as he was waiting too. He started up a conversation, and he asked about me, and one thing led to another, and I ended up telling him  that Ethan has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. We talked about that for a minute. (Soapbox: FAS is not reversible. It isn't like fetal drug use that most of the effects wear off eventually. You can learn to live with it, but the damage will never be undone. It's also 100% preventable, so the fact the the numbers of babies being born with it is actually INCREASING STEADILY makes me crazy. I feel like it's really important to take any opportunity possible to educate people about it. Even if that means old men in the drug store, you never know who they can influence. Stepping off the box now...) Whenever I talk about it and disclose that my son has it one of two things happen. One: the other person totally judges me for being a boozer while pregnant, or Two: the subject of adoption comes up. This time it was option #2 and we talked about how much I love adoption and what a blessing it is. He told me that he has a granddaughter who is 15 and pregnant, and she is thinking about adoption, but doesn't really know where to start. (The resources are really limited if you aren't LDS around here.) Well, I happen to keep agency numbers and pass along cards in my wallet for occasion such as this! (you should too, if you need some call me, if you have some you need passed send them to me, I'm good at it:) So I whipped those babies out and handed them over. He was flipping through them, and suddenly stopped. He recognized one of the ladies on the card. Evidently she grew up in the town where he taught school for several years. He had always admired her, and thought she was a great person. (She totally is, by the way!) I won't disclose who it was because I haven't been able to get ahold of her yet, but if you grew up near Telluride and you know Stan Johnson you should totally call me NOW! (You know who you are:) By the time my name was called he was really excited and so was I. Now to wait anxiously to find out what happens...