Parker's Promise

Today marks one year. One year since my son fell from a picnic bench, hit his head on the dirt below and suffered dire consequences.  What a year.  The first 6 months were the hospital stay to bone flap.  The second 6 months have been the absolute roller coaster of seizures.  We have had some incredibly  lows this year, but also some incredibly high highs.  As I reflect on the last year, I don't even know where to begin.

First off, Miracles are REAL. My son's injury has a 70-90% mortality rate.  Most don't survive.  He did. He has overcome the odds so many times.  The miracles this year have added up, toppled one on top of another.  Some are big and tangible, direct answer to earnest prayer.  Others have been in the many tender mercies and blessings our family has benefited from this year.  Some have been in the perfect timing of things, like this week. Coincidences that cannot be dismissed.

So many times when you hear people talk about trials, they say they are grateful for them and they wouldn't have had them any other way.  I'm not there yet. :)  We have had some incredible blessings this year that I wouldn't trade for the world, but it has been tough.  And we are not out of it yet.

This year I have come to know so much more that our Heavenly Father lives, loves us and cares so much about us. He and our Savior love us so much.  They will never give us more than we can handle. Even if it comes close, they buoy us up and enlarge our capacity to function; to love, to learn and to give.  I am so grateful for blessings and for the Spirit that guides us each step of the way.  I have grown so much.  My kids have grown so much. My husband and I have grown so much together. Angels surround us- both seen and unseen.  I have been purely amazed, humbled and so grateful by the outpouring of love, prayers, generosity and abundance of love and help our family has received over this past year.  Images and thoughts are flooding through my mind.  I am grateful for words of comfort, hugs, grandparents and family, generous gifts, dinners, playdates, visits at the hospital, therapists that love not only Parker, but his sweet brother that comes to appts, doctors that do all they can to decipher Parker's individual needs, incredible nurses and hospital staff, sweet kids that are so patient with their parents and little brother, understanding teachers, the many little kids that have been praying for Parker... The list goes on and on and on. Ultimately I am so thankful for my Savior and for my incredible husband that have both walked this path with me this year.  I am so grateful we have had each other.

And I've learned without a doubt that God is so incredibly mindful of us and the details in our lives.