just be thankful...

I know I'm supposed to be taking a break from the blog as I study for my comprehensive exams, but I'm studying in my "makeshift office" (it's amazing what you can do with a guest bathroom and two tray tables when you need to be someplace quiet where no one will bother you!), and just felt the need to write. Background story: two years ago, my dear friend Julie (she's the one on my reading list with the garden updates) sent an email asking for prayers for a family that attended her church. They knew that their daughter, Seren, was going to be born with a few health challenges, kidneys I think, but they had no idea that she would be born with an improperly-formed brain or genetic mutations that meant that her organs weren't properly formed and she would have severe mental and cognitive impairment. So for the past two years I would periodically check the "Prayers for Seren" blog to see if any changes were made in her condition and to see how that family, who I didn't know, was doing. I think that selfishly, I also read that blog for comfort. I often have a VERY difficult time with dealing with the situation with Deuce and his delayed development, but that blog reminded me to just be thankful for what I've got. Developmental delays seriously are not that bad, but there are waves of frustrations, anger, jealousy (when other kids are coming along "typically")... I don't know. Guess I felt sort of connected to that blog because Julie "loosely" knew the family, and I DID pray for Seren. The mother seemed to handle the situation so well - reminded me to keep things in perspective. I got worried last year when the mother went months without updating, not even for baby Seren's 1st birthday. She then later put a post that there were no changes, and how she was amazed at how much hope she had in the beginning... all for naught. So I'm sitting here now studying, my mind drifted, and I just decided to go to the blog to see if there were any new updates. There was one: Seren died peacefully in her sleep on March 20th. So who am I to complain about anything? Seriously, anything? Both of my children hugged me today. Both of my children smiled when I went in their rooms this morning, better yet, they are in their rooms in our home, where as some children have to stay in a hospital or medical facility. Gotta keep things in perspective sometimes. Gotta just be thankful for what you've got.