Christian country singer Rory Feek never thought he'd be a single dad raising his daughter Indiana, nicknamed Indy, alone. But after Rory lost his wife Joey to cervical cancer in March, he finds himself grappling with that reality.
As he looks at his daughter now, Rory is taken back to the time when he and Joey first learned that Indy has Down syndrome. Both of them didn't know what to think back then, and after Joey gave birth to her, the common greeting they received was, "I'm so sorry."
"That's such a strange response to the birth of a child. Maybe they were just sensing the confusion in my voice or more likely, they didn't know what to say," Rory shares on his blog. "I didn't and don't think anything negative about their responses. I probably would've said the same thing in their shoes. It's what society has told them, and I get it. That's the messaging that is out there most I think. But it's wrong. At least I think it is. And I know Joey did, too."
Rory insists that "God doesn't make mistakes," and their daughter is not less than any other child. Although Rory admits Indy is not what he and Joey expected, having Down syndrome does not make Indy's life any less meaningful. He also says she is the equal of any other kids belonging to the kingdom of God.
In fact, Rory considers his daughter "more wonderful and more precious and even more important to our lives and story than we expected," and he is quite excited to see their lives unfold together.
As Indy's dad, Rory says he cannot wait to see who she becomes and how her growing up will impact him. "I still have so much to learn and I have no doubt that while I'm teaching her... she will be teaching me," he says.
