Daphne saying its not HARD, just DIFFERENT

I disagree with you.

Switched at Birth has absolutely opened my eyes to looking at what people label as a "disability" as nothing more than a difference.

I am done with my preconceived notion of how a life should be. I realize now that anything that might be interpreted as a negative in life would also have positives that come along with it.

Who is to say that what society has perceived as "normal" and "able" actually is better?

Happiness comes in many forms. People who seemingly have it all are sometimes the most miserable. While people who seemingly have nothing, sometimes are happy beyond measure.

Who is any one of us to choose what is right or best for another? How do we know? We don't.

There may be blessings that come from being Deaf, or from having Down syndrome, or from being a quadriplegic, or from being born without limbs, or from being born with an illness that will shorten your life to only a few years, or even a few hours.

How are any of us to know?

It is so easy to say, "That's different from me. I wouldn't want that for myself. That's not good."

But I guarantee you that there ARE good things about all of those situations. People in those situations have riches that we cannot imagine, unless we walk in their shoes. And we have riches that they cannot imagine.

It is not better or worse. It is just different.

I love life enough that I would like to experience it in every way possible. Perhaps some of those variations might involve countless pain. But GOOD things come out of pain. Good things come out of heartache, suffering, and loss.

Nothing in life is really a loss, because all of our losses come with gains.

If we take away our preconceived notions about how life should be. Then we realize that no outcome is better than another. They are all just different.

Those of us with the easiest lives are often the saddest.

Toby has had everything handed to him on a silver platter, for his whole life. That night that he performed a musical number, with his mother, at The Cracked Mug, he told Kathryn he felt like a failure in life.

If Toby allows it to be, this baby could be EXACTLY what he needs to give his life meaning and direction. Toby has been searching for both and coming up empty handed everywhere he turns.

So what if it is a struggle? So what if it is sad at times? Sadness and struggle come with their own payoffs.

All variations of life have value.

Also, how can she go push her brother into being OK with a baby who has Downs considering his relationship with Lily was rocky, he is 20, without a degree and has an unstable career. Having a disabled child is different, but it is undoubtedly more difficult to raise them and there is no denying that their disability will be deeply saddening to a parent at some level forever. That's not to say you don't love that child as any other, of course you do, maybe you even love them more, but her whole argument saying it isn't sad or difficult to deal with it is something I didn't agree with at all.

I don't think Daphne understands what it means to raise a differently abled person. Her mother always made her feel that she was just different, that there was nothing wrong with her per sae. I was raised with a mentally disabled uncle, he was not born that way, but my grandmother explained to me he heartbreak of realizing that her son was not advancing at the same rate as her older son. You see when you have children you dream about all the wonderful things they will be and then something like this, and everything changes. Like Mingo said, that child's life will be harder, those parents life raising that child financially and emotionally will be more difficult then the average family. I personally would keep the child, because I couldn't imagine my life without my uncle and giving up a baby that could be like him is just inconceivable. However, as a girl who was abandoned by her parents, I understand what it's like to be born to parents who do not want you. Because of this and more, I am pro-choice. I think every family needs to do what's right for them, not everyone is capable of being parents let alone parents to a differently abled child. I'm not sure what choice they'll make, but this is very forward thinking television. For another look into a family dealing with a differently abled child, check out Parenthood.

I also have to disagree. I have family and friends that are blind, paralyzed and have different levels of mental retardation, and deafness. By witnessing how their lives are every bit as rich and meaningful as a 'normal' person, I wouldn't be afraid to have a child that wasn't completely able bodied, I would just have to do things differently. Having a disability, or a disabled child isn't always the end of the world for some people.

Deaf people can look after themselves and don't require adult supervision in later life.
DS people rarely can look after themselves and require adult supervision.

DS is definitely harder than being deaf and also different.

Daphne is plain wrong in saying it's not hard.

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Comparing deafness to Down syndrome is ridiculous. Not all disabilities require the same amount of care. Our neighbors have 2 kids with disabilities--one of which is autism. They will never be able to take care of themselves. They get mistreated at school. Their father cries after the kids go to bed. They go to countless doctors visits and physical therapy. They are lived just as much if not more than other children but their lives are hard, not just different.



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Truth be told, I had to see you one more time, even if it was from a distance.

The difference in difficulties may vary. Travis had it tougher than Daphne. Toby's baby will have a good support system.