Thank You!

Anyone who sets out to write a blog in the month of November undoubtedly feels an obligation to make it about giving thanks. Call it a seasonal thing.

But honestly, I find myself writing about thanks less because of the Thanksgiving decorations that are on display all around me and more about how I am genuinely feeling as I reflect on these last six weeks that I’ve been at GiGi’s Playhouse.

In my first blog, I wrote about the people I met at my first-ever GiGi’s Kitchen for Adults. I thought how that experience compared to what I first imagined about GiGi’s Playhouse. I thought GiGi’s Playhouse was for children with Down syndrome, which is a common misconception. The fact is, however, most of our participants are over the age of 18.

That changed on October 26th. I came to the Playhouse to observe my first busy Saturday morning of GiGi’s programming, and it was all dedicated to kiddos. I witnessed New Family Coordination, Open Play, Dance Teen and Teen Tastic. It was a morning of joy and fun activities and something unexpected — I did not expect to meet three-week old Jeremiah.

I learned that his parents, Mattea and Josh, knew that Jeremiah would be born with Down syndrome, and it was recommended that they make a connection with GiGi’s Playhouse. They were glad to know there was a place to meet other young parents and find such a wealth of valuable resources. Jeremiah’s grandparents from New Jersey were in town and they wanted to see this place, too. I spent a good deal of time talking to them and they were so thankful to know that there was a place like this for their daughter, son-in-law and their four grandchildren Auri, Enoch, Pax and especially their newest grandchild, Jeremiah.

The hosts of the New Parent Orientation passed along this comment from Jeremiah’s father: “This place feels really welcoming for ALL our kids.” What I loved most about that comment was that Josh emphasized ALL of his kids. Young Jeremiah will grow up knowing how special this place is. His older siblings sensed that right away.

How could that not make me feel good and THANKFUL to be part of this special place?

So, I’ll end to extend that THANKS to you, too. Thanks for advocating, volunteering, donating, engaging and supporting GiGi’s Playhouse. And thanks for reading this blog. I hope that you’ll be back to read more of what’s on my mind.

John Claes
GiGi’s Playhouse Des Moines Executive Director