Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Sometimes I forget...

Sometimes I forget. 

In the midst of his robust toddler boyness, I forget how small he once was, how fragile his tiny body was, how hard he has fought to be here. I forget he was kept alive for months by machines pumping life-saving heart medicines into him, just willing his heart to beat stronger, to sustain him one more day. I forget.

In the midst of him clinging to me, demanding to be picked up and carried for the hundredth time, I forget how empty my arms once were and how my heart ached, reaching out to hold a child who couldn't be held, as he lay sedated and fighting for his life in a tiny infant warmer in a sterile ICU room. I forget.

In the midst of morning chaos when both the kids are driving me absolutely nuts fighting over every little thing and I keep having to separate them, I forget how our family was split apart, how my arms couldn't reach to hold both my children at once, how they were a city away from one another. How I cried for days on end, just aching to have them both under my roof at the same time. How I worried the day would never come. I forget.

Sometimes, in the bliss of normal life, I forget.

But not today.

Never today.

Because today marks the 2-year anniversary of the day we handed our sweet boy over to have his tiny chest cut open and his heart fixed for the 3rd time in 7 short months. 

The morning of surgery...

The day after...

2 days later (it is awe-inspiring how resilient children are!)

On discharge day, 5 days, yes 5 days, after open-heart surgery!

Today, we celebrate our son, how far he's come, his strength and determination. And we praise God for His provision for our son.

But sometimes, in this blissful Glenn stage life, I forget how far he's come, how far we've all come. Praise God for the blissful moments where we forget. Praise God, because, in those moments, it means that my son is more than a heart warrior; it means my son can just be a boy, dirty, scraped knees and all. 

Which really, is all I ever wanted for him.

Photobucket

10 comments:

  1. I love your son, Amy. His picture is STILL in my wallet. He is a unique, special creation, made for His glory. I love you, mu Bodie. Be well. Big kisses: "auntie" Nairi :)

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  2. So rude that Liv chose to get admitted on Bodie's Glenniversary. A first, her first unplanned hospital stay, definitely one I could have done without! But how amazing indeed it is to forget how little and delicate they all once were!

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  3. Awwww Bodie! I cannot even believe how big he is. I love the last picture (especially the shirt- lol) but he looks like a little boy not a toddler. Happy Glenniversary Bodie! :)

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  4. Happy Glenniversary big man!!!! What a great celebration!

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  5. What a great day to celebrate! My son is ten and we have not missed a single year of celebrating "Heart Day"! I think it is one of his favorite days and a chance for us to remember how very lucky we are!

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  6. I love this - and I'm so glad your sweet boy is doing so well!

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  7. I survived the first day of kindergarten tear-free but not this blog post! Years of joy for God's grace and many thanks for reminding me how great it is that my house is messy and noisy!!! Saving a bug hug for the next time we meet!

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  8. Okay, that was supposed to say "tears of joy" and "big hug"...that's what I get for typing on my phone while feeding the baby in a dark room! :)

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  9. As a newly diagnosed 'heart mum', this blog post gives me hope, as at this moment with a long journey ahead and so much desire for our unborn baby to fight and thrive. The feeling of 'forgetting', even just for a nanosecond sounds fantastic. Enjoy all the scraped knees :-)
    NewbieHeartMum - UK

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