I am so Blessed

It is often easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget about the important things in my life. But, lately I have been reminded of how blessed I am.

My husband's cousin, who is only 31 years old, just got both of his kidneys removed as a result of a genetic disorder - poly cystic kidney disease - that runs in my husband's family. It is a dominant disease, meaning that a parent who has the gene has a 50% chance of passing it on to each of their children. We have no idea how widespread the disease is among the family because it usually doesn't cause any problems until late in life. We do, however, know that my sister in law has the disease. There is a potential that my husband could have it as well, although he did get a kidney ultrasound at age 29 and had no cysts, so it is unlikely that any will develop. It eventually leads to kidney failure, and the need for a transplant, which takes us back to his cousin. . .

He and his wife have been staying with us off and on when they come down to the hospital from a small town that doesn't have adequate medical care. A few weeks ago, his wife was here for a week as he had the surgery necessary to remove both kidneys in preparation for a transplant. He has spent the last month on dialysis and his health is not holding up well. Trying to get a donor solidified has been difficult, so his wife finally decided that she would give one of her kidneys to him. That surgery is scheduled in about a week and a half. This young couple has three young children who now have to witness both of their parents going into very risky surgery. We have faith that this will be what is needed, and everything will be alright.

In the meantime, they are living with his parents. The wife is working long days to try to provide for her family while her husband is in and out of the hospital. It is not uncommon for them to leave the kids in the care of others for days at a time for medical care. The situation is stressful and difficult for all of them.

In all of her comings and goings, this sweet wife, who has been watching her husband's health deteriorating over the past couple of years, reminded me of what is important in life. She said, "You may not think that you have it all, but all I want is what you have."

I do realize how blessed I am. I have a wonderful husband who does an awesome job of taking care of the kids and I. He treats me like a queen and does all in his power to make me happy. I have five beautiful, healthy children who are far from perfect, but try so hard to do what is right. My husband and I have good health and can keep up with the never ending demands on our time and energy. We have a beautiful home, even if it doesn't have all the space that I would like. We have the gospel which gives us direction and peace amidst the craziness of our lives. I cannot complain about any of it. The fact that I take it for granted at all is shameful. So, today, I am counting my blessings, grateful for Lord's tender mercies in my life.

"We may not have it all together, but together we have it all."

Kids Can be so Cruel

Kids can be so cruel. As a mother, it is hard to watch one of your kids doing their best to wade through a sea of teasing from their supposed "friends." That seems to be the lot of one of my boys lately. Each day after school I will ask him about his day, and he will say something like "Well, it was kind of good." When pressed a little further, he will proceed to tell me about the latest thing that somebody said to hurt his feelings. He is ten, and it is hard to get an adequate picture of what is actually going on, but what I hear makes me really sad. He is afraid to wear his glasses at school because, as he put it the other day, he wants to look "normal." He only got them a couple of months ago, but the kids told him that the glasses were not going to help him to be any smarter. Who would want to wear the glasses after that? Then, too, he is a sports lover. His coordination is not always up to par, but he sure loves to play football and basketball. So, to have kids yelling at him when he misses a shot, drops the football, or doesn't quite get the pass to the intended person- is painful.

The insult continued when he was told that he sings horribly, even though he loves to sing. And, as he tries to follow a year behind his older brother who got every solo in music and straight A's without even trying, the kids think it is really funny to call him by his brother's name, despite his pleas for them to call him by his own name. Each day he comes home with a new story, and each night he prays that the kids won't make fun of him. It tears my heart out, but what can I do? This is my social child - the one who makes friends so easily and seems to feel comfortable quickly in most social situations. At some point, everybody needs to learn to deal with people who aren't very nice. But, day after day of cruelty is not good for anybody.

I wish I could be a fly on the wall to watch what is going on each day. Is he just being extra sensitive? Are the kids doing it intentionally, or just joking? Is he making a big deal out of something small, or is it really as it seems to me - getting out of control? I don't know that there is much I can do either way. Perhaps I need to talk to his teacher. There is a couple more months of school left, after which he will be moving to a different school in the fall. But, for now, I just pray that he will be alright - that he will not give credence to the mean things that the kids are saying to him. It has been hard enough for him to find something that he does well. In fact, I don't know that he has really finds his niche. That is not to say that he doesn't do anything well. He is very good at many things. He is just like me in that his talents are not always broadcast for the world to see, or have not been fully developed yet. And, the last thing he needs is somebody pointing out all that the doesn't do well - or as well as his brother.

Once again, kids can be so cruel. . .