Describing a Miracle

How do you effectively describe a miracle?

I used to think the only true miracle would be if Elijah completely recovered from his massive brain injury.  Now I realize that miracles are all around me. I see miracles everywhere I go.  And while I still hope for complete recovery, I see the miracles I might have once missed.  Every life, no matter the ability level of that person, is a miracle.  We experience miracles on a daily basis.  Every step this kid takes, every time he lifts his head and looks at me, every time he communicates, every breath he takes, every time he swallows, each smile he gives - they are all miracles.  Our boy, despite the obstacles he must overcome, is a miracle. 

A couple nights ago Andy was feeding Elijah his bedtime snack.  It was raining and I walked by to go look out the window.  Elijah visually tracked me as I went by and said a growly, "Mawhm." I turned around, tears streaming down my face, and said, "Yes, Elijah, I'm mom!"  He smiled at me.  He knew he said mom and he was proud. 

So how do you describe a miracle?  Do I tell you that the sky doesn't open up and light doesn't shine on you like you think it should?  Do I tell you how I proceeded with my evening, washing the dishes while Andy put Elijah to bed?  Do I also tell you that I could hardly see the dishes through my tears as I washed and cried and praised God for our miracle?  Life goes on - sometimes miracles take place before bath time, after a walk, while it rains, and during a yummy peach snack.

Sometimes a miracle is in a word. And it sounds like Mawhm.

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Blue Sky July

Upon a recommendation from the Kidz Krew, I recently read a memoir entitled Blue Sky July: A Mother's Story of Hope and Healing, by Nia Wyn. Nia's story really resonated with me and I was able to read the book within a couple of days. Her words paint the story of her journey through her son Joe's first seven years (who has severe cerebral palsy), told in a style which is more like poetry than a memoir. Honestly, I've never read anything quite like it.

More than anything, it's a story about a mother's love and the lengths a mother will go through to give her child the best life possible.

This quote really stuck out to me and I loved it so much that I folded the corner of the page where these words were written (please don't tell the library, ha!):

As we pass the running children who hold up their heads so easily, I realize miracles are so commonplace we barely recognize them anymore,
and near the circles of mothers who anxiously comparing milestones at the
school gates, I see how we live in a time where normal is never enough,

and we are never full.

Joe gives me insights I could never have understood without him, and he gives me
heartbreak.
To separate these two responses would be impossible. He is
equally beautiful and equally terrifying(pg. 42).

So beautifully written. Miracles are all around us and we can't even see them most of the time. Be the one to see them.

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Did You Know It's Already Been

a week since Thanksgiving?

Does anyone else sometimes feel like life is passing by in fast forward? My weeks seem exceptionally long and yet they pass in the blink of an eye. Am I the only one?

At times, I feel so overwhelmed by life. Is it just me? I mean, there's always so much to be done, so much I'd like to do doing. So much therapy, teaching, hoping to do for Elijah. There's always something to do, from housework to therapy, to writing emails (I'm so behind) to updating this blog (which I love to do). Where is the time to just be, to just sit and read and be together without thoughts of what needs to be done?

Thanksgiving gave us a chance to do just that: relax, to read, to sit with family and talk and do...nothing. I like nothing sometimes. I took a several day break from the Internet. Sometimes it's nice to get away. With that said, I'm thankful for this crazy life of ours. I'm thankful for family and friends who've been so helpful and supportive over the past two years. I'm thankful for people who cheer Elijah on, who watch him with a smile on their faces. I'm thankful for people who see the miracles when they see our son. I'm thankful for acceptance and for hope. I'm thankful for my bloggy friends.

I write Elijahland posts in my head often. I wish I'd get them on "paper" more often, because I'd intended to write a post about how thankful I was for Thanksgiving...and a week has already passed me by. Can someone tell me where the slow-mo button is? I can't seem to find it.

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