My husband and I weren't looking forward to our first Thanksgiving as parents of a baby with special needs. The little town on the prairie where we lived was 750 miles from the University of Nebraska hospital in Omaha where our son had already had 2 surgeries, the first when he was less than 24 hours old. The surgeon insisted on scheduling a follow-up appointment before releasing our son after the … [Read more...]
Before and After
Photo Source For almost 32 years, my life has been divided into before and after. Before our first child was born, And after he came into our lives. Before the doctor came in to say something was wrong, And after we agreed to send our son to a bigger hospital by ambulance. Before another doctor called with a diagnosis, And after our newborn was life flighted 750 miles away for … [Read more...]
God Is Enough
This week I'm visiting the vast, remote South Dakota country where we lived when our son was born. I'm driving on roads that look like they stretch out forever over miles and miles of short grass prairie in a county with more pronghorn antelope than people per square mile. Each day, I fight an irrational urge to travel the long miles between the tiny town of Camp Crook, where I am staying, and … [Read more...]
How Can 31 Years Ago Seem Just Like Yesterday?
Thirty-one years ago today, our first child was born at 12:35 AM on a Sunday morning. Like all mothers, I remember the details of that day at Lookout Memorial Hospital in Spearfish, South Dakota with perfect clarity. But my memories are different than those of many other new parents. The joy of the memory of our son's arrival is tinged with sadness and gratitude. I remember breakfast being … [Read more...]