Despite shouldering the huge responsibilities of Ben’s continual care and development, look for the beauty today, make memories today, and capture the wondrous things we’re given every day.
I’ve learned that the great days are the real gifts in my life and I do my best not to squander them.
No matter how awful things are, or have been, or will be in my life, make memories EVERY day so you can be ready for the unexpected.
The older I get, the more I have to trust in God and rely on His grace and direction to carry me through.
Life is full of dangers and risks. Only God’s grace and goodness can turn a catastrophic situation into just a scare.
I felt a huge weight lifted from me. And a recognition that I wasn’t left to figure things out on my own. That, all along, it was Jesus, Himself, who was tracing out the steps I needed to take, setting the broader path, and pulling me through.
Some days there is no doubt God hears me even though I don’t always get the answers I want. But maybe they’re exactly what I need.
I wondered if we had seen the hand of God at work. To have intervened at just the right time, in the blink of an eye. Was that what turned things around?
We are called to live freely, fully and ever expanding. To serve others, especially the poor, the marginalized and the forgotten. To emphasize the beauty in each one of us. And we can do this knowing that Jesus is ALWAYS with us no matter what!
The truth about living in the world of 24-hour care is that you can’t do it all yourself, no matter how Herculean you think you are.
I wonder what better life could be if we knew then what we know now. I imagine somehow secretly sending an email me the day before Ben was born.
Finding people truly committed to supporting us is hard to find. But God’s commitment to me is relentless and is always there when the world lets me down.
I know that I’m not walking this journey alone, that everything will be ok. I need to say this everyday.
The symbolism of a door is obvious: it represents a passage, a transition, from one place to another. The Holy Door represents our earthly journey towards eternity. On this day, it represented the transition to new life with Ben. It was like closing the door on the last 24 years of our lives with Ben and opening a new path towards the next 24.
For certain, the chaos, the pain, and the stress of our family life, and those families with persons with disabilities, would not fit into any box nor would they stack up against the iconic images of any well-ordered family model. Despite all our imperfections, the constant that has carried us through the years is the unwavering love we have for each other. And so it is for so many other families that don’t fit the mold.
My body is telling me things have to change and I don’t want them to change. But I need the rest.