Sunday, September 9, 2007

Things I learned this week

1) It is possible to love something that weighs 17 pounds and that you have only known for 8 months so much that your heart actually feels like it will burst if you see them cry one more time.

2) It is possible for your heart to hurt so much that it makes you throw up- more than one time.

3) It is possible to survive a helicopter ride that normally would have you in an all out panic attack and vomitting everywhere when you need to.

4) It is possible to cry so much that you run out of tears.

5) It is possible to pull strength out of God knows where when your baby's life depends on it.

6) I would give any body part or even multiple body parts to trade places with either one of my kids rather than watch them in pain.

7) Life is too short to worry with anything other than loving and cherishing your friends and family.

8) I have WAY TOO many wonderful friends than one girl deserves- true friends- friends who call you even when they know you aren't gonna call them back just to let you know they love you, friends who get messages about your boobs to people they know you will talk to, friends who feed and let your stinky jumping dogs out to use the potty even when they live on the other side of town, friends who clean your house just so you don't have to come home and worry about anything, friends who make you meals so you don't have to worry about real life for a while, friends who keep your older rambuctious four year old boy and lie to you and tell you how wonderful he is being and how it is helping them out just so you can feel comfortable. How I got this wonderful batch of friends, I will never know. Honestly.

9) I have WAY TOO many wonderful family members that will do anything for me. My parents love me way more than parents should love their kids (although I am not sure how much that is after this week). I have parents who will drop everything and rush to be with me. They will fly, drive through the night, and do everything humanly possible just for a hug. My brother Charlie, loves me so much that he dropped his life to come and fight the battle together.

10) It is possible for a four year old to spend one week with his grandparents and get so spoiled that he honestly thinks that if you take him to get a loaf of bread, he should come home with a scooter (or race cars set?). That he thinks the world does revolve around him, but hey it does right?

11) That I take way too many things for granted. Just to have your baby breathing and smiling is the most important thing in life. Realizing how close I came to coming home without my bright eyed girl makes me know that I don't care about the little things in life. If she nurses until she gets on the bus for kindergarten, oh well. If she sleeps in a swing until she physically hits the 25 pound mark, oh well. I really don't care!!!

12) That there are doctors out there who are truly touched by the hand of God. Doctors who love patients and treat them as they would if it were their child.

13) MOST IMPORTANTLY: prayer works- plain and simple, no explanation needed.

14) Lastly, there are babies and children out there who have a crappy home life and for some reason or another have parents who aren't allowed to see them. Babies and children who are sitting in hospital beds for weeks at a time without a single visitor. Who have to fight for the chance at life without any support or anyone in their corner. This was truly the most heartbreaking thing that I took home with me. It makes me seriously consider foster care.

10 comments:

Mande said...

PRAISE GOD for answering prayers! I am so glad to hear that Sophie is getting better!

Rebecca said...

*wiping away tears* Amen.

tiff said...

I am so crying...life is precious!!

photowannabe said...

Touching and so heart stopping. I am glad your precious one is home again safe and sound.
I am visiting via your Dad's blog.

• Eliane • said...

Your Dad Sent me. I am glad everything is back to a more normal state. I wish little Sophie a prompt recovery. And this was a wonderful post with priceless lessons.

Lynette said...

Your Daddy sent me, too, honey. Thank you so very much for sharing what you've learned with all of us.

I'm crying and wiping my nose and remembering when prayer helped me. When my beloved husband of 10 years, LeRoy, was ill in 1983, I prayed to God to help me because I just couldn't do it alone, to please give me the strength to deal with however it all turned out. Right that moment, God took the weight right off my body, not just my shoulders, but my entire body.

And the strength lasted well beyond April 14, 1983, when LeRoy took his last breath and I told him good-bye, that I'd see him again some day, and went home to tell our sons, Lamont, 7, and Leland, 4, that their Daddy had died and that his soul, his being, was in Heaven.

God helped those beautiful little boys, too, when he gave Lamont the understanding to say, "Daddy never met a stranger," something he had heard LeRoy's many friends say. And God helped Leland think and say, "They must need something built in Heaven." LeRoy was a carpenter.

And again God helped Leland when the little guy came to me a few hours later and asked a question I'm still unbelievably thankful he asked. You see, I'd told them that we'd have a funeral in Texas (where we lived then) and in Jackson (where my family was and LeRoy wanted to be buried because we'd talked and decided the boys and I ought to move back), that Daddy'd be wearing his suit and his cowboy boots, that he'd be in a box at the front of the church and about the men who would carry the box for Daddy, that everyone would be sad, maybe crying, but inside they'd be happy for Daddy not to be hurting any more.

My little boy came to me a couple of hours later and asked, "Is Daddy cut up in pieces?" I looked down at him, kneeled down by him and said, "No, honey, Daddy's all in one piece." He looked at me, satisfied with that short answer, and said, "OK."

Why, I wondered? Where had that thought come from? Then it hit me. I'd said Daddy would be in a box because I didn't think that the word casket would mean anything to them. Naturally a four-year-old would think of a box as he knew it. How could Daddy fit in there if he was not cut up into pieces? God gave Leland the confidence to ask that question of me, as well as giving me the sense to give a short answer and wait to see if there was more he needed to ask before I said anything else. Thank goodness He did. I cannot even begin to imagine how such an image could have impacted his life.

Today God's strength continues for the three of us; we're blessed to be a family, to have known God's help and the power of prayer, just as you are.

Anonymous said...

I came by way of your father's blog. I am happy that the bad times are over and the family is back together and somewhat normal. Life is so different in how it touches all of us.

Marie said...

What a wonderful post. I came here from your father's blog. I am happy your very beautiful little girl is recovering. I hope your ordeal is over. Two days ago I learned that I was going to be a grandmother.....

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

I am here from your father's and all I can say is I had tears in my eyes by the end of the post...I wish Sophie the most joyful and healthy life.........:)

Carlos Lorenzo said...

How different can a post be when the lines you read are coming straight from your heart, totally inspired by such a dramatic experience. Of course it has been one of the most sincere and inspirational readings I have ever read. It is most of all a terrific thing that things went right and I feel happy that someone out there had the chance to come out sound and safe and is here to tell us. As you say, this makes you cherish every minute of life and tighten the bonds with family and friends. We all should value that everyday and we skip too often. Thanks for reminding us.