Moments of awe

Two weeks ago, I was doing market research on Parents.com, looking for writer’s guidelines for personal essays, and stumbled upon their cover model contest. On a lark, I entered Julianna, thinking, We need beautiful kids with special needs in the spotlight.   

One week ago, I got an email from Parents nudging me to share the link, to get people to “vote” for her. Cringing at self-promotion, I put it up on Facebook and Twitter, and sent it out to, oh, pretty much my whole address book.   

On Saturday, I received this email from my s-i-l in St. Louis:   

“Well your email about Julianna made it back to me through work!!  How incredible is that?!?!”   

And I started reading backwards.   

From: (removed)
Date: June 26, 2010 7:33:24 AM CDT
Subject: Fw: Consider this

Hi everyone,   There is a woman in Missouri who has entered her child into Parents magazines photo contest. This adorable girl also just happens to have Downs syndrome. Would you consider voting for her in this on line contest (see below) What a wonderful way to show the true beauty of all children!   — On Sat, 6/26/10, (removed) wrote:

Date: Saturday, June 26, 2010, 6:40 AM

I hope you will take a moment to click and vote.  There is a mom in Missouri who has entered her darling daughter with Down Syndrome into a cover model contest.  I don’t know about you, but I have never seen a cover model with a disability and I think it is high time!  BESIDES, she is totally adorable!

—– Forwarded Message —-
 

From: (removed)

To: Missouri Planning Council

Sent: Fri, June 25, 2010 5:43:52 PM
Subject: [MO_Partners] Consider this

Please read below and vote if you agree with Kate. 

—–Original Message—–
From: (removed)
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2010 10:51am
Subject: FW: Gimme a click! 

Would you please pass this along to your list serve and anyone else who may be interested. Kate is a friend (and also generously allows one of our trainees to shadow her family) who has submitted her daughter’s photo to Parent’s magazine contest for their cover picture. Julianna is a beautiful little girl who happens to have Down Syndrome. I encourage you to go to the link below and vote for one or all of the photos of Julianna – Let’s get her on the cover…. Thanx, (removed)  

And then, and only then, my message:  

Mamarazzi alert! 🙂

I feel self-conscious for even asking this, but hear me out. Parents Magazine is holding a contest for cover models for their magazine. And it occured to me that there is a sad lack of children with special needs put in prominent places, which contributes to the stigma of being “different,” and the barreiers that keep people from seeing the beauty in our children. 

And so I uploaded pictures. Now I need people to “vote” for Julianna. Click here and click the “I like this” button. There are four pictures in the album to choose from. 

I know it’s lame, but I think we need kids with special needs in the spotlight. So if you feel compelled, please feel free to pass this on. Thanks, everyone! 

Kate Basi
Proud mama to Julianna, age 3, Down syndrome 

There is one thing, and one thing only, left to say.

YOU PEOPLE ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#223. A chance for Alex to share a love of all things green and growing with his grandma 

 #224. Baby in Grandpa’s truck

 #225. Cuteness, especially when it needs no explanation

#226. Watching my family delight in a much-needed rain shower

#227. Homemade Marble Cake

Join the…