On a hot summer’s day, my brother walks through a vast field with corn standing taller than he. At a specific spot, he tears off an ear of corn and starts counting the kernels he finds. From samples he pulls, he will then calculate the potential yield for his crop.
My father, brother, and nephews possess much knowledge to grow soybeans, wheat, and corn. They work long hours to grow the best crop they can. The work cannot be done alone. During each step of the growing process, my family is watching, assessing, calculating, praying, and determining what the next step will be. They have years of experience to draw from, as well as dozens of experts they know in agriculture to help guide their decisions.
Some vital aspects of farming are out of their control, like temperatures, rainfall, and wind. My brother has watched the weather forecast in angst over the lack or abundance of rain, whatever the case may be. On the other hand, when insects or weeds pose a threat, a swift response can be taken. Everything is aimed at getting the best possible result.
Photo credit: Katherine Volkovski on Unsplash.com.
While my brother has been toiling in the fields this year, my household has continued our own labor at home. During the COVID-19 restrictions, I spent 5 months at home with my family. My work hours were reduced and completed from home. The caregiving of our two children was shared by my husband and I with barely a break.
There were times during home isolation that felt like a sneak peek into our future. One day, my 14-year-old daughter with a developmental disability will be too old for school. Our family routine, responsibilities, and schedule will drastically change. We all know this day will come, and we are taking steps to help our daughter become as independent as she can be.
Being her mom for 14 years, I have become a near-expert on my daughter. I know her likes, dislikes, triggers for behaviors, jokes that make her laugh, and everything else. Over the years, her strengths have become apparent. She has a glowing personality and likes things tidy. If I find a chore she can do well, I capitalize on that.
When we haven’t known exactly what to do with some aspect of her care, we have sought the expertise of others. Therapies have been added and dropped over the years. Specialized tools, books, or techniques have been used to teach a certain skill. We could never do all this alone; we are grateful for those who want to see our daughter achieve all she can.
With all the planning and plotting we have done for our daughter, there are some things out of our control. Medical conditions have brought unexpected interruptions and scares. In angst, I have prayed for her to live and felt helpless at times. Like my brother, I have accepted the fact that there are some things beyond my control. When she has recovered, we continue our work, know that we are growing something good in her.
In a few weeks, my brother will know exactly what the last year of labor has produced. He will celebrate fields with impressive yields and look for reasons why other fields did not fair as well. Meanwhile, we are still sowing into my daughter’s life. We are looking for seeds of promise that may give us a glimpse of what the future may be for her. God is still growing her and requires more time to mature.
We wait, pray, hope, and support our daughter until the time when we must reap what we have sown into her as a child. Whatever happens in the next few years, we are grateful for each day with her, regardless of what she does or does not do. Most of all, it is our heart that she knows that she is loved by us and by God.
Evana is a wife and mother of two children. Since becoming a parent, Evana has spent many hours driving to specialty appointments, praying beside a hospital bed, and learning about her children’s diagnoses. Evana is also a pediatric speech-language pathologist and serves children with autism, feeding disorders, and other developmental delays. You can connect with Evana on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog, A Special Purposed Life. You can also read more about her family’s story in her book, Badges of Motherhood: One Mother’s Story about Family, Down syndrome, Hospitals, and Faith.
