Today, I received quite a few reminders that as bad as I feel that things are going right now, that it could always be much worse.
I found myself worried about a friend whom I have known for about 10 years, a wonderful mom to 3 kids, who lost her home and all their possessions due to the floods in Tennessee. The pictures are heartbreaking. They are all safe, thank goodness. But now they have to break the news to their children that all their items are gone. Like that, their lives are changed. They have to start over.
I found myself worried about Bertrand quite a bit during the day because he just was not himself. His mom, my person, is such a strong and amazing mom and friend, and I know that these new injections they started him on to try and help control his seizures are so tough on all of them.
I found myself worried about Hannah’s birth friend, Charli, who is going to have half of her brain removed in a bit over 3 weeks to try and control her seizures and spasms. Her mom, who is going through a difficult time as it is, is also such an amazingly strong woman whom I admire.
I find myself worried about Hannah’s local therapy friend, Cooper, who was diagnosed with a severe mitochondrial disorder and who just received a gut transplant last week after waiting on the list for a year. Now beings the long road to recovery.
I found myself worried about little Olivia, a Gaucher type 2 little girl, who captured my heart with her smile. A smile that was almost lost to the world due to the progressive nature of this disease just weeks ago. But I saw a picture of her today, and to say her smile melted my heart is an understatement.
I have so much to be grateful for. I really do. And I am grateful.
Thanks, Carrie. Let’s keep hoping for no trips to the ER tonight. Love you all!
.-= Cristina´s last blog ..Update: Irritable =-.
Seems like it’s a tough time for a lot of people. {{hug}} It’s ok to recognize that you are going thru a tough time as well right now.
Love you.
Dear Carrie You are so incredibly brave and kind. you make me quite speechless in admiration. Please give youself one very big Hug. better still give your children one, then you can all smile together
Bless you all.
Paul
While it is really important to see the bright side, sometimes I think we can do ourselves a disservice if we don’t at least acknowledge what we are having difficulty with.
A brief story. When I was 16 I was hospitalized for 6 days. Essentially, it was me and a 5 month old who had been there for a week already. He was in rough shape, he was being tube fed, and still losing weight, and very listless. The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with him. The first day I started holding him, rocking him, playing with him, and was even allowed to offer him bottles after couple days (which shocked the residents he allowed it at all, but the nurses were not surprised, he happily took from me). He started to look for me, and even smiled. He started maintaining then gaining weight. A nurse dully observed to the resident, “We told you he was just dying from lack of love.” (He never had visitors. The nurses said it is different to have someone care for someone for 12 hours, then disappear, maybe to come back the next day, maybe a few days later.) The whole situation profoundly effected my life and views of it. A 5 month old (or anyone else) can literally die from a lack of love, and there is nothing doctors/nurses can medically do to stop it. I decided on the spot, no matter how bad my life got, I was sure I would not die from a lack of love. I truly can not think of a worst death than that. To this day, I wonder about that boy. If he made it, if he is in trouble, if he is doing well…
I agree with what the others have said. Beautifully written post too.