Christmas has come and gone in the blink of an eye, and the snow that also came has gone, too. It is bright and sunny outside today, and Laptop (Trent's beautiful longhaired cat) is roaming the back yard, pretending he is a wild feline with prey to catch! The squirrel that runs up and down in the leafless trees is keeping one eye on the ground today, just in case Laptop gets extra brave...but he probably doesn't have to worry. So far, it's all been pretending!
Well, today I'm posting about Andrea because I miss her, and maybe she needs to hear it! Andrea went to California last fall to attend Vanguard University. I am so proud of her! But...
Monday-night gettogethers at your house aren't as much fun without you, Andrea! And guess what! There's a new Super Wal-Mart opening this week up on Grant and 99th! We would surely have to go check it out if you were here. I miss you saying, "Aunt Jeanette, I have to ask you something," and then we'd go in your room and close the door for one of our girl-talk chats. We miss you saying, "Do you want to play Skip-Bo?" So now we are saying it instead, and your mom, Trent, and I are playing games together often. It would be so fun for you to help me cook Sunday dinner again or make apple crumble for dessert. Coral would be in I'm-as-stiff-as-I-can-get-with- excitement heaven if you were here today to sing along with her CDs. You are so special, girlfriend, and don't you forget it!
January 25, 2005
This is Andrea, my niece, in one of her graduation pictures. She is the youngest child of my brother, Gord, who is married to Barry's sister, Paula. Our families are very close and spend lots of time at each other's homes. I don't think there is anything that can take the place of a close-knit family, and I'm so thankful we have one! This includes my sister, Carol-Ann, and her family, too. If only they lived closer!
Andrea and Coral, arm in arm, reading in bed! During high school (and now when she is home from college), Andrea often cared for Coral while Barry and I got a little time off. Usually, this was when we took short trips with our prison-ministry group. Here they were, making a memory, when we caught them at it!
November 27, 2004
My other blessing...
Tonight snow is beginning to wisp across our street in little wavy drifts. There is just enough of it to make me think of apple cider and cinnamon sticks in the crockpot!
Trent and I decided to brave the weather, and so we drove down the street to buy a few groceries. As we went into the store, we met an older lady I know. She asked, "Is that your son?" After I introduced them, she said, "You are so fortunate to have a son like that!" Her generous and loving spirit was such a gift to me tonight, because she does not have any children of her own... and she reminded me of something I already know ... I am very blessed.
I remember when we first discovered we were going to have our second baby. Coral was nearly two, and she was developmentally like a newborn but with the addition of a seizure disorder and the inability to eat normally. When we went to bed at night, I would lie there and cry. I'm sure Barry didn't know what to do with me! But I was so afraid that what happened during Coral's birth would happen again. And I was totally overwhelmed with the very idea of adding the care of another baby to what I already had to do.
During this time, I was church organist. Sometimes, between hymns on Sunday mornings, I would look down from my organ bench and watch another young mother take her little boy out of the sanctuary. He always looked where they were going and took in everything with eager attention. Tears would roll down my face as I saw them, because my little girl never paid attention to anything, and somehow I just didn't seem able to get past that painful spot.
What I didn't know was that there was someone on the way to help me with that, and it was Trent! What I thought would be too much for me was really going to be my blessing! Our new baby was born with his eyes wide open, looking at everything with interest right from the very start! And 22 years later, we are very proud of him. He makes me laugh all the time, especially when he talks loudly with a Scottish accent when we are out shopping! He is always inviting me to take late-night drives to Wendys, and he works patiently on my computer, even when I do foolish things that bring on all kinds of spyware problems!
Yes, I cried at night, and yes, there were many times I was totally overwhelmed. But God knew what I needed...
Trent and I decided to brave the weather, and so we drove down the street to buy a few groceries. As we went into the store, we met an older lady I know. She asked, "Is that your son?" After I introduced them, she said, "You are so fortunate to have a son like that!" Her generous and loving spirit was such a gift to me tonight, because she does not have any children of her own... and she reminded me of something I already know ... I am very blessed.
I remember when we first discovered we were going to have our second baby. Coral was nearly two, and she was developmentally like a newborn but with the addition of a seizure disorder and the inability to eat normally. When we went to bed at night, I would lie there and cry. I'm sure Barry didn't know what to do with me! But I was so afraid that what happened during Coral's birth would happen again. And I was totally overwhelmed with the very idea of adding the care of another baby to what I already had to do.
During this time, I was church organist. Sometimes, between hymns on Sunday mornings, I would look down from my organ bench and watch another young mother take her little boy out of the sanctuary. He always looked where they were going and took in everything with eager attention. Tears would roll down my face as I saw them, because my little girl never paid attention to anything, and somehow I just didn't seem able to get past that painful spot.
What I didn't know was that there was someone on the way to help me with that, and it was Trent! What I thought would be too much for me was really going to be my blessing! Our new baby was born with his eyes wide open, looking at everything with interest right from the very start! And 22 years later, we are very proud of him. He makes me laugh all the time, especially when he talks loudly with a Scottish accent when we are out shopping! He is always inviting me to take late-night drives to Wendys, and he works patiently on my computer, even when I do foolish things that bring on all kinds of spyware problems!
Yes, I cried at night, and yes, there were many times I was totally overwhelmed. But God knew what I needed...
November 18, 2004
25 years ago....
November 19 is our daughter's birthday. She'll be 25 tomorrow. She's been with us half my life, and what a joy she is to me every day. Let me tell you about her and share with you some memories of 25 years ago...
We were so excited! Our first baby! But things didn't go normally, and Coral was without oxygen for too long during birth. Soon the doctors knew she would have a lifelong struggle. One even told us that after she turned two years old, she wouldn't be cute anymore, and we wouldn't want her. He advised us to put our names on a waiting list for a "home" for her... We couldn't even take in that idea.
The doctors were right about a lot of things... Our baby began non-stop seizures that took a long time to control. As she got older, she didn't pay attention to things, she didn't sit up by herself or crawl or ever learn to walk. She didn't learn to eat properly. She can't read or write, nor can she tell time. Her wheelchair is her constant companion, an extension of herself. She is constantly waiting. She waits for others to get her up in the morning, to take her to the bathroom, to dress and feed her. She waits for others to turn on the TV or put on her music. She waits so patiently.
But they were wrong about so much... After 25 years, we still think she is cute. She has the most wonderful personality, full of strong opinions, likes and dislikes. She loves me unconditionally and always wants to be near me, even when I'm cranky or sharp with her. She doesn't have a clue how to remember a slight or wrong, or even how to recognize them in the first place. She loves music and knows hundreds of songs by heart. She knows about all the members of her favorite groups. She has such pure enjoyment of life. The tiniest things delight her. And she has the most beautiful red hair...
What kind of a person would I be without Coral...if I had decided to put her in a "home?" I don't know, exactly, but I know I am closer to who God wants me to be because of her.
Tonight I'm remembering the past 25 years, and I see that it has been hard but easy, sad but happy, long but short, scary but peaceful... because the joy of the Lord has been and will be our strength.
We were so excited! Our first baby! But things didn't go normally, and Coral was without oxygen for too long during birth. Soon the doctors knew she would have a lifelong struggle. One even told us that after she turned two years old, she wouldn't be cute anymore, and we wouldn't want her. He advised us to put our names on a waiting list for a "home" for her... We couldn't even take in that idea.
The doctors were right about a lot of things... Our baby began non-stop seizures that took a long time to control. As she got older, she didn't pay attention to things, she didn't sit up by herself or crawl or ever learn to walk. She didn't learn to eat properly. She can't read or write, nor can she tell time. Her wheelchair is her constant companion, an extension of herself. She is constantly waiting. She waits for others to get her up in the morning, to take her to the bathroom, to dress and feed her. She waits for others to turn on the TV or put on her music. She waits so patiently.
But they were wrong about so much... After 25 years, we still think she is cute. She has the most wonderful personality, full of strong opinions, likes and dislikes. She loves me unconditionally and always wants to be near me, even when I'm cranky or sharp with her. She doesn't have a clue how to remember a slight or wrong, or even how to recognize them in the first place. She loves music and knows hundreds of songs by heart. She knows about all the members of her favorite groups. She has such pure enjoyment of life. The tiniest things delight her. And she has the most beautiful red hair...
What kind of a person would I be without Coral...if I had decided to put her in a "home?" I don't know, exactly, but I know I am closer to who God wants me to be because of her.
Tonight I'm remembering the past 25 years, and I see that it has been hard but easy, sad but happy, long but short, scary but peaceful... because the joy of the Lord has been and will be our strength.
November 14, 2004
Looking through my old pictures has taken me back in time ... and it's getting to be quite a long way back! (See the picture below.) This year -- in the third grade -- was a year of changes for me. My parents left Liberia (in West Africa) where we had been living as a missionary family and brought us to Beamsville, Ontario for one year. I lost lots of weight because I didn't like "North American" food! I discovered that in some countries, the weather is not always nice and warm. It was the year I started wearing glasses. I totally forgot my part in the church Christmas play. And I saw a piano for the very first time! I was in awe of my father, who knew just which keys to play to make a song. I couldn't imagine how anyone could do something that difficult! I'm remembering what a wonderful childhood I had with the blessing of a family that loved me and taught me that God loves me, too, just the way I am.
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