Lessons Learned

With a culinary project brewing (see prior post), I channeled those energies into treating my hubby and kiddos to a special breakfast yesterday morning.  For those who share our religion, this is a special time of year and I snagged a spiral form of our favorite bread from a local bakery.  I seldom make French toast and pan fry in butter on even rarer occasion, but thought it would be a fun start to our week.  Our skillet sizzled and popped with buttery, egg-crisp, vanilla and cinnamon goodness while the girls circled my kitchen like great white sharks, ready to leap at a moments' notice for a yummy morsel.  

As this is also a contemplative time, I thought it appropriate to share some of my strongest lessons from the first eight months of our family's journey with Hip Chick's hip dysplasia. This is an ode to her, as the most surprising of persons have relayed to her father and/or me that she is of significant inspiration to them.  It blows me away at times to hear how her story and disposition remind them of just how good their life is- that their troubles don't seem so serious when a young child with her obstacles can be so happy-go-lucky.  

Sometimes we can be too close to a situation to appreciate the full scope of its impact.

And so, Mommy's lessons:

1.  Life absolutely does change in a single, unexpected, ill-prepared-for moment.  

2.  One cannot fathom all we take for granted until it's temporarily lost or gone... but children are too young to fully grasp this.  They truly are more resilient than adults.

3.  You can find or create cheer in difficult or dark situations if you so choose.

4.  Children adopt no sunnier of a disposition than you model for them.  It is very achievable to have a happy (your word here: casted... hung... disabled... etc.) child if you are willing to work for it.

5.  A parent's love is blinding.  It enables you to see the good in a situation and care for a situation that makes others instinctively recoil.

6.  Generally speaking, people and predicaments will shock you.  Expect to be shocked from now on... it builds character, anyway.

7.  The most unexpected persons will extend themselves and the most unexpected persons will shy away.  Ultimately, you cannot expect anything of anyone and must be grateful for the smallest kindness.

8.  The people who matter most are those who don't think twice about reaching out or checking in.  This is your support system- cherish them and be understanding of everyone else.

9.  People don't know how to react to hardship or disability and may do so in outrageous ways.  This applies equally to your hairdresser as it does your coworker, family member, or a stranger in public.  Your reaction will make more of an impact than theirs.

10.  No, it isn't fair- and you will just have to move past that.

11. It can always be worse and it may grow worse... so be grateful that your situation is as good as it is at present.

12.  Make effort to create beautiful moments.  NOW.  One of the best memories of this year was with Hip Chick in traction, her feet strung up in our living room, and our family banging on musical instruments, having its own concert with the help of our favorite albums.  You have to embrace those moments before they flutter off.