Today’s Blog is brought to you by Sarah Watson
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1.the time taken by a planet to make one revolution around the sun.
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2.the period of 365 days (or 366 days in leap years) starting from the first of January, used for reckoning time in ordinary affairs.
I watched a super sappy sad video that was going around on Facebook… you know, one that’s there to make you cry and sentimental. Reading the words on the screen telling me that the days are so long, but the time goes by so quick, I semi-rolled my eyes at it because the night before it took over an hour to get Chase to bed, I had also just told Chase to stop chewing on a book for at least the 30th time that day. I was really hoping the “time goes by so quick” would kick in soon, so my husband would get home and I could make the ceremonial “Here is the child” handoff.
A few days later I sat around a table with multiple David’s Refuge parents. I was listening to a mom speak about her daughter and she very candidly said “We are not planning on her going to college. We are planning on her living another year.” Oh my gosh. I sat there frozen. My husband and I had just opened a 529 college savings plan for Chase days before, and now I’m sitting across from a mom who hopes her daughter lives at least another year. That just really puts the length of a year into perspective.
Chase turned one year old on the 14th. My tiny little squish (we affectionately call him) is no longer a baby, but a 24 pound toddler that is going to take off walking any second now. On Chase’s birthday I thought about that mom. All of a sudden the days and nights didn’t seem long at all. That year had completely vanished right in front of my eyes. One year was gone. One entire year.
Of course the past year of my life has been busy (ya know, having a baby and all) but what else did I do this past year? What else could I have done? One thing I know I could have done better and WILL do better is taking in each moment as they come. To take a mental snapshot of things I want to remember, things that are important to me. Yeah of course I’m going to be frustrated that Chase won’t stop chewing on his books… but I laughingly put one of his extremely chomped books in this memory box this morning, so I can make sure he remembers his taste for publication.
I just showed CJ the sappy video… when it ended, my tough adorable husband had tears rolling down his face. He said to me “It’s just so easy for us to take for granted that we have a healthy baby.” I agreed. “We need to treasure every single moment with him because he’s going to be so big soon and think we’re lame.” Well yeah that last part I’m sure is true…
Being a parent of a “Typical” child, but working for an organization that helps parents who have special needs children is challenging. Challenging in all of the right ways. It challenges me (and my husband) to take a step back, and look at our life. To be grateful for all that we have and for our families future. Also to appreciate the opportunities we have to learn from the very special families that we meet through David’s Refuge. Their stories and experience continue to shape us into the family we strive to be.
And just because I can’t keep the super sappy video to myself. Grab a tissue… Here it is. Sorry!
https://www.facebook.com/HerViewFromHome/videos/1749770068377073/