Two of my dear friends in the Trisomy community have had to say goodbye to their little girls in the last couple of days, and devastating doesn't begin to describe it.
I'm not going to lie...this journey is not for the faint of heart.
You learn to love and let go and it never, ever gets any easier.
You get close to families, follow their journey, find hope and light and joy and encouragement.
And then in the blink of an eye something happens...
And you're crying your eyes out in your closet, heart-wrenching sobs because a child who was doing so well is suddenly with Jesus and a friend's arms are empty and her heart is aching.
You know in your heart that heaven is where our children are healed and made whole for eternity, that they are dancing with Jesus and waiting for the day we will be reunited.
But.
The ache is still there.
And though we get pretty good about pushing the fear and the worry behind us, living in the moment and appreciating what we have, it's times like these that remind us...
Our child could be next.
I hate that this is the case. I hate that I can't make it better for anyone else on this journey. I hate that no one can give us any guarantees. I hate that in the 4 years I have known what a rare trisomy diagnosis is and what it means, I have watched literally dozens and dozens of little ones leave this earth.
It hurts. A lot.
And yet...our lives are richer BECAUSE we are part of this community. The joys and triumphs and milestones--they are all the sweeter because of the difficulties. The friendships and community we've forged are so precious and valuable and LIFE-giving.
To my friends who are new to this life, to those who have just received a diagnosis for their little ones...I hope seeing posts of loss and sorrow do not cause you too much angst and grief, although it's understandable that they do. I hope you see the hope and the beauty, the joy and the sacredness of this calling we each have, the call to love and care for a vulnerable little one. Because it's there, it truly is!
Lots of joy.
So much love.
So many precious memories and moments.
It's worth it. So very, very worth it.
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