Jabuti

Precious Isabella is now in the third grade.  Although she is still in a contained autism classroom, she takes her specials and eats lunch with the general education children.

The third and fourth graders put on a wonderful play from a book called "Jabuti the Tortoise:  A Trickster Tale from the Amazon" by Gerald McDermott.   Their music teacher wrote the music and they spent three months learning to recite, play act, and dance.

It was delightful from the moment we arrived.  A number of children greeted Isabella; she is one of them.  This is such an answer to prayer!

When the children were on stage, Bells was just as engaged as the other children.  More so, actually, as she was waving to her mom throughout!

The reason we stay in a town with especially high rents is because Isabella gets a great education.  I wish this was true for all people on the spectrum.

Without a Leg to Stand On...But With Hope

Because of diabetes, my mother-in-love needed to have the lower half of one leg amputated.  (Sorry if the title offends....this is not my intention and I am not making light of this.)

When she died in January, my daughter told my granddaughter that Grandma is in heaven with two legs bouncing around a field of flowers.

This is how my Isabella sees this tableau:

I lost the picture!  I will try to get it back!

(almost) Unbearable

When we decide to have children, we think of precious newborns, inquisitive toddlers, cuteness and innocence.  What we don't think of is an emerging human being with opinions and weaknesses, rebellion and pain.

Seeing one of my children or my granddaughter in pain can do me in.  There are times I think it is unbearable.  Even prayer and reading the Word of God can have little effect...or so I think...

Last week, there was a night I thought I was going to break, literally.  A number of years ago, I was  hospitalized (my choice) for depression and anxiety but have grown enough in knowledge and faith to be able to stand up to the demons that plague me.

My precious granddaughter has been going through a rough time and I became so upset that I felt like nothing could bring me strength.  People are praying about the situation and there is comfort in that but I was about to crack.

For several months, I have been writing out  my prayers so I went to my prayer spot and cried out my pain and the injustice of what is happening to my girl.  I reminded God of His promises to those who love Him and trust Him.  I laid it all on His broad, broad shoulders.

And I slept well for the first time in a very long time.

How Did I Get Here From There?

When I was in high school, I thought I would graduate and become a flight attendant and travel the world. A gas crisis caused the airlines to layoff personnel, not hire more.

Plan B, go to college and study to be an adolescent psychologist. After graduation, I was supposed to go to graduate school. Uh, marriage and a baby followed, but not school.

With a husband who had left to seek "greener pastures," I tried graduate school whilst taking care of my infant daughter but it was too much. Off to work I went.

Seven years later, I met Himself. He told me I would never have to work more than part-time. ~heavy sigh~ That never happened and then The Boy was born.

The Boy is now twenty-two years old and I am a disabled "homemaker" who has helped take care a our granddaughter since the day she was born.

Things didn't turn out as I had planned. However, I am so happy to be able to be here for my precious girl.

How did I get here? I've stopped wondering and am trying to just live with what God has blessed me with. g