36 Random Acts of Kindness

Tomorrow and Saturday, ST and I turn 36. Yes, 36, not 26. In my mind, I'm 26. Maybe that will change when I hit 40, but I hope not!

Instead of presents this year, we're honoring each other by doing 36 Random Acts of Kindness. We are planning most of them, and leaving a couple for spotaneity. We're including the kids, and my awesome mom is watching Jackson during his nap so we can get them all done.

We started making our list and found some cool cards to pass out. It's been really fun planning and coming up with ideas. We can't wait to get started!

 

 



Here is the wesite for the cards: http://www.itshueilove.com/2011/11/32-random-acts-of-kindness.html

Just the vessel.

An amazing thing happened to us this week. Was running errands and a woman started chatting with Jackson. He signed something back to her and then said something unintelligible (I understood :)) I explained to her that he could hear, but that he was non-verbal and used ASL. We started talking and she was asking lots of questions about him (I love to talk about my cutie so it didn'...t hit me until later that she was much more inquisitive than most people). I explained to her that he was a surviving twin and we were told that he might not survive, that his cerebellum isn't growing like it should be, that he is cognitively intact, that he crawls, that he isn't in pain, that he just said, "I love you, Mommy" for the first time, that he is a joy and a blessing and that he makes everyone around him better. She suddenly BURST into tears and left the room. I had no idea what had just happened.

Turns out, she's almost 3 months pregnant with her first child. She started spotting a week ago, they ran tests, found out that the baby's brain isn't growing properly. Her and her husband were given the decision to terminate or carry to term and risk a 'possible non-viable baby' in her OB's terms. They have to give her OB the decision by tomorrow. She had asked God for a sign to help her make this very difficult decision and said as soon as she heard me say that Jackson has a brain disease, she knew God was telling her to keep her beautiful baby. We sat in her office and cried and prayed and cried some more.

My son, my beautiful, beautiful son, is moving mountains.

 

 

A New Me. An Awakening.

I got a haircut yesterday. But not just any haircut--THE haircut. The one where I sat in the hairdresser's chair feeling like a girl (in my mind, I'm still 26) and got up feeling like a grown-up. But not in a bad way. In a 'you've turned into something lovely' kind of way. I sat in that chair with my eyes closed and listened to the girls entertaining Jackson. I heard the scissors and felt her hands on my head and thought about that golden girl with the long hair and her arms around her boyfriend. We were 19 and had no idea of what was to come.

Who knew? Who knew I would be so grown, so changed by this beautiful life? That girl would have never cut all of that hair off. It was as much a part of me as that mop on my husband's head (which is now shaved, by the way). Who knew I would have the strength to lift my son, to support him as he takes steps, to give him a voice, to navigate this scary special-needs world? God knew. Not me.

I felt changed when I got up from the chair. I wanted to hug that long-haired girl and tell her how proud I was. For getting through a dark, dark time and never losing sight of the light. For finding a really good guy and holding tight. For raising 2 confident, kind, and compassionate daughters. For pushing and fighting and cheering and loving on this beautiful boy we were given. It was the pre-wheelchair, post-wheelchair haircut. It was the "you are working really hard at being the person I intended you to be" voice of God.

Not just a haircut.

Hello lovely.

Oh my poor, sad, neglected blog. Thanks for being patient with me. A year?? Really? Shame on me. Let's just pretend I'm not a super lame blogger and carry on.

Now then.