Birthday Suits

19: Lilac Pierce

Everyone was buzzing with fear, excitement, stress, and joy. Graduation was just beyond their reach, but standing in the way was exams. Still, the students were making the most of their last weeks of classes. There had been senior breakfast days, after school activities, and creative projects to maximise their time together.

One of the creative projects was making a backdrop to feature on the day of graduation. The class had decided on painting a giant dandelion. First they were all together, and now the wind was going to take them all in different directions to explore the world. Each seed had a student's school photo and small paragraph of their future aspirations.

As Belle stuck the final details on one of the seeds, her eyes skimmed over the written dreams of Lilac Pierce. She wrote about following her heart, about going against the norms of society, of not being held back by Down Syndrome and letting the media manipulate her into believing that the condition was a flaw, a restriction, a burden.

She wanted to model, to be a representative of other women and men with the same genetic disorder, to prove that there were other types of beauty. It was such an inspiring thing for Belle to read. As soon as she finished decorating and had moved on to the next two dozen faces, her mind was set on who her next post would be about.

When the media manipulates our expectations on beauty, it's hard to validate something that isn't accepted as traditionally exquisite. But finding the courage to challenge the norms, to dig deeper than necessary, to accept yourself as who you are is beauty in itself. Down Syndrome or any other genetic condition doesn't instantly write that person's future. It does not categorise what is possible and impossible, doesn't list the limitations or the possibilities. Conditions don't have fates. They only have challenges. And you can overcome them. Lilac Pierce may not think she's beautiful, but I do.