The Superpower I Wish I Had
"If you could have one superpower, what would it be?" When my daughter asked me that simple question, I didn't expect it to become a conversation about time, the future, and the hopes we hold for our children. As the parent of a son with Down syndrome, it left me reflecting on a different kind of superpower: the ability to shape tomorrow through the choices we make today.
My daughter asked me recently, "If you could have one superpower, what would it be?"
I paused for a moment before answering, "I'd want to control time."
Her eyes lit up. "Me too! How did we both think of the same thing?"
What followed was one of those conversations that only children seem able to spark.
We talked about travelling back in time and how changing even the smallest detail might completely alter the present. Then we decided that perhaps the greatest use of such a power wouldn't be visiting the past at all, but travelling into the future. We imagined seeing what life would look like years from now, discovering what was working well, what had made people happier, kinder, and more fulfilled, and then returning to the present, determined to do more of those things. We also wondered which challenges would still exist and what we could begin to change today.
That conversation stayed with me long after it had ended.
If I really could see into the future, what would I do differently today to make life better for my children?
I found myself thinking especially about my son, who has Down syndrome. What opportunities will exist for him as he grows older? Will he have the chance to live as independently as possible, to find meaningful work, to belong in his community, and to be valued for who he is? And what about my daughter? How can I help ensure she lives a full and joyful life without ever feeling that her own future is defined by caring for her brother?
I don't yet have all the answers to those questions.
What I do know is this: while I can't control time or see into the future, I can help shape it. Every conversation we have, every barrier we challenge, every opportunity we create, and every small act of inclusion we champion today helps build a better tomorrow.
Perhaps that is the closest any of us will ever come to having a superpower.
Written by Liz Kabuage