A Valuable LIfe

In the article My Brother's Valuable Life, Cal Thomas writes, "How does one measure whether a life was a success, or a failure?"

He goes on to say some people measure it by how well-known the person was, or the amount of money, or possessions, they accumulated. Others measure it by whether a person made a major contribution to society.

Cal's brother was born with Down syndrome. He passed away recently. Cal's thoughts are such that if you're judging the success of a person's life on the above standards, then by that, his brother was a failure.

He goes on to say, "If, however, your standard for a successful life is how that life positively touched others, then my brother's life was a resounding success."

What a great way to look at the success of your life. Not by how much you make, how powerful or influential you are, how many (if any) degrees you have, what type of job you have... but by how your life has positively touched others.


To (loosely) quote Martin Luther King, Jr and his dream that his children will be judged by the content of their character; I, too, have the same dream for Kayla. For Kayla, for those with Down syndrome, and for those with any type of special needs or disability. That they, too, will be judged to have a successful life based on the content of their character and how they positively touched others. Not based on an IQ score, or what kind of job they have, or whether or not they live independently.

Kayla's life is valuable, and it will be successful because of the kind of person she grows up to be. The kind of friends she is. The love and goodness in her heart.