The Linzey Series 6/7: Val/Best Friend/Sister

(The Linzey Series 6/7: Val/Best Friend/Sister)

"I looked ahead and saw my entire family laughing and walking together on the boardwalk. It was the most beautiful day at the beach but I was absolutely miserable. My own mental health struggles had set in and I was growing more anxious by the second. All I wanted to do was leave. Then suddenly Linzey turned around and walked back towards me. At first I was annoyed because I didn’t want to talk to anyone. But then she held out her fist and said, 'Here, you can squeeze it like a stress ball.'

I couldn’t believe that she even noticed how anxious I was. And how on earth did she know what I needed more so than my family members who have known me my whole life?

To this day, she still offers me her fierce love and encouragement in many different ways: blasting my favorite songs, giving me giant hugs, turning off the lights and telling everyone to leave me alone, sending me (very) long voice recordings, and occasionally — holding out her fist.

No one knows me better than her and I wouldn’t have it any other way."

#ThisIsDownSyndrome #TheLuckyFew