A Kind Of Crazy: Upheavel In the Village

We are huddled in the living room experiencing ultimate family bonding as the workmen tear up and install a new kitchen floor. Not sure what I was thinking when I thought we could continue homeschooling and living life in one room ALL TOGETHER. It is only 8:30 and one child has already been in tears and Leo has already torn up a math book. I am thankful for a new kitchen floor but I am thinking we probably should have gone out for the day or at least declared it a watch as much tv as you want kinda day. I may resort to that last option within the hour.

It looks like we get another week off from therapy as they are working to assign us new therapists, who will come to our home to work with Leo. We are both still feeling good about this decision. I was surprised by how much positive feedback I received about keeping Leo home. Apparently, more people agree with this decision and have strong opinions about it but were hesitant to share not wanting to influence us.

Our new friends from New York are staying with us this week as their daughter has appointments at Shriner's all week culminating with surgery on Thursday. They arrived last night and it was so good to see Alexsandra and her huge smile. She is a sight as she has a cast on each of her legs and a cast on her right arm. She continues to smile. I don't know if I would be smiling if I had even one cast. Today she is getting all three casts off and her mom is looking forward to her being able to play in the tub tonight. It will be her first bath since February as she has had casts on since then. Alexsandra will experience 3 days of freedom from all casts but then on Thursday she is having hip surgery and will once again have her legs casted for a month.

Alexsandra's mom and I were talking last night about how resiliant medically fragile kids are. She was relaying stories of children she has met at Shriner's who are in casts and braces and yet they still manage to get around and smile. Kids adapt. Kids realize there are more important things in life then the silly stuff we choose to worry about. Kids, who have been through more medical stuff then anyone should ever have to go through, get life. They know what is important. They choose joy. They choose not to let their physical limations get in the way.

We have witnessed this first hand with Jonathan. Jonathan, at this point in his life, does not realize he is "different" from other kids. He doesn't know he should be slower because he only has one leg. He doesn't use having one leg as an excuse not to do something. He doesn't know better. In some ways he has accepted the fact that he has one leg, he doesn't dwell on the missing leg, he adapts and lives life to the fullest.

How often do I let problems get me down? I focus on the problem. I refuse to adapt. I refuse to move on and I dwell on the problem. I don't move on. The end result I miss out on joy.

Today, I need to follow the example of Alexsandra and Jonathan and choose joy no matter what problems rear their ugly head.