Thinking...

Yesterday I broke out in hives...Never a dull moment, that's for sure. I am fine, just annoyed and tired due to all the running around and having to take Benedrill. This weekend will be busy but fun. On Saturday we are going to see Sesame Street Live. On Sunday we have a birthday party to go to for a friends daughter who turned 1. On Monday evening we will be going out to dinner to celebrate a friend's 30th bday.

Tomorrow we get Alex's hearing tested. If you could pray that would be great.

I was thinking yesterday...Some things I have learned from being a Mom, especially a Mom of a child who has special needs were on my mind.

• Never say, "I would never do that..." - you don't know what you would do or not do unless you are in that situation.
• Things are not always what they seem - don't be so quick to judge others or assign motives because you don't know know all of the story.
• Mom's are not God - they can't do everything or do it all well but the love they have for their kids makes them put themselves last for the sake of their offspring.
• Friends are a gift - when you have no time and are run down those who are "with you" regardless are truly a gift. If you have 1 or 2 of such friends consider yourself rich.
• A word of encouragement goes a long way - especially during times when you are worn out and wondering if you are fit to be a Mom.
• There is nothing like a Mothers love - Those who seek to serve rather then be served are hard to come by. When you are so busy and trying to stay afloat you have no time or energy to think about how others can help. Those who truly listen when you are speaking and pick up on what you need help with and rearrange their schedules in order to help without being asked are truly those who love you - my Mom on her own initiative has moped our floors, scrubbed our toilets & dusted our house on numerous occasions...she drives for an hour and a half once a week on the only day she has to sleep in just so I can go to church and sit in the sanctuary...she has brought us meals and cooked for us so that we could have a hot homemade lunch/dinner, she has taken her only day off to go to Philly with me from morning till night for appointments with Alex...
• Somehow you get the strength to do what you need to do and as hard as it is you have let the other things go - don't sweat the small stuff.
• God really does equip us to do what He has called us to do...but He never said it would be easy.
• You will never be the same again - doesn't matter if your kid is 1 or 100...having a child changes you and how you view life forever. I see a young homeless girl walking in a part of Philadelphia asking for money and the only thing I can think of is "What if that was Alex...How would I want people to treat her..." Every time I see an accident or an ambulance drive by, every time I hear of a missing child I think of Alex and shed a tear for the Mom whose child that is.
• You pray for time...but not in that self focused way you did before you had children. You want time to see your child grow up. to see them graduate, go to collage, utilize their talents, get married and have children of their own. You want time to see them realize their dreams not to realize yours.

Have a good night. The Benedrill is kicking in...I'm going to bed.