“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Stephen Covey
The Importance of 3.21
We asked all of the Dallas Perficient Colleagues to join us in celebrating World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st! It was all hands-on deck as Gina Hart-Managing Director graciously recommended we host the March Dallas Townhall on 3.21. I was overwhelmed with gratitude! The significance of 3.21 is that there are 3 copies of the 21st chromosome- trisomy 21 which is also called Down Syndrome. So why is this day so important? It is a day to create more awareness and acceptance. My daughter Tatum is 17 months and was born with Down Syndrome (at birth diagnosis) and it is our mission to share with the world just how extra special she is! Cookies, coloring pages, cross word puzzles, signs, pictures, balloons and so much more were included to make the celebration perfect. Altogether, there are lots of ways to celebrate 3.21!
Rock your socks
First, Dallas colleagues got involved and took action on WDSD by rocking mismatched socks! They say the 21st chromosomes often look like socks, which is where the socks come into play. Pals Socks is a company that specializes in mismatched socks, they have a variety of different sizes and styles. The mission behind the company is that we don’t have to match to be pals. Celebrating our difference and similarities! These are really meant to spark conversation. Overall, it was a fun way to come together and create awareness and acceptance.
Get involved
Furthermore, you can wear blue/yellow in honor of down syndrome. When people wear blue and/or yellow it serves as a way to bring attention to Down Syndrome. These colors have become symbolic of promoting an understanding and acceptance. My closet is now filled with these colors. Additionally, tell others you have a friend named Tatum and that she rocks an extra chromosome! Lastly, ask questions and learn more about Down Syndrome, it means more than you know.
Potlucks? Are you a fan?
All things considered, tell us, are you a fan of Potlucks? We certainly are! Potlucks are a fun and yummy way to bring people together. Our lunch did just that especially on top of the WDSD celebration. Filled with pork, chicken, beef and all of the sides to go with tacos! We ate together and shared the preparation. In my opinion, this helps improve culture and communication as well as allowing us to try new foods!
Team Building- Fine Motor Skills
Lastly, our townhalls incorporate some sort of Team Building activity! These might be my favorite part of the townhalls! This month’s activity focused on fine motor skills. People with Down Syndrome including Tatum can have difficulties with these skills. This is due to low tone and/or hypermobility. Fine motor skills involve coordinating the small muscles and joints of the fingers, hands, and wrists. As a team you were to use a shared pen to draw the desired design on the piece of paper within 3-4 minutes. However, the pen had 8 strings attached to and each team member had to hold a string and draw together. This was incredibly difficult as we had to focus together as a team to communicate and work our fine motor skills to draw. The results were fascinating and allowed us to see just how challenging simple tasks may be for others.
Be vulnerable, share your story- it may inspire others!
Are you a Perficient Colleague who is local to Dallas? Come join us in person for the next townhall!
