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family grew. Then, due to complications from the disease, Tom’s health started to fail. His passing was a great loss to the family, and the state was concerned whether Norma would be able to handle all of the children on her own. She informed them that her children were more important to her than anything else in her life, and she would be fine. As the state monitored the situation, they agreed, and, in fact, even allowed her to adopt one more child to round out her family. Little Emily was the last, and was only six years old when she came into this unique family. She was a Down Syndrome girl. In her young life, she had been in home after home, some for less than a month, and none for more than a couple. By Thanksgiving she had been in Norma’s home for almost a year, and, for the first time in her life, she had found consistency and security. As the final touches for dinner were being finished, Norma invited me to read some stories to the children. Little Emily climbed on my lap, and all of the other children gathered around. I read some Bible stories appropriate for the season, as I felt that in this 19