Amanda and the Hendersons

Two years ago I sat in a hospital room..... I glanced back and forth between my sleeping son who lay upon the stark white sheets and the beautiful young social worker that spoke to me behind a yellow mask.  Her gloved hands pointing to paragraphs on paper and her stiff yellow gown awkwardly moving about.  Her words went in and out as my concentration faded. We were having a conversation about the future. The transplant. She was giving me options....walking me through. She began to tell me about different places where we could live during the process. There was a couple who donated a house in town in which families could live during their medical journey.  Expenses paid, lots of room, short commute. and then she began to tell me about Brent's Place. A close by apartment building filled with people going through similar journeys, and a staff of which she insisted was incredible...... Feeling overwhelmed by her every word I declined to make a decision in that mom...

A while back, Parklen received a card in the mail from someone he has never met.... This card. After reading the words to him through tear filled eyes.... I smiled. He smiled.... We talked about how awesome it was that Jen was thinking about him all the way across the country when she ran all of those miles... even though....they had never met. We talked about how he used to be unable to walk or run.... We talked about how everything that happens to us is a chance to show God's work.... We talked about how someone is always watching.... and the way that we handle hardships can help to build someone else's faith as well as our own.... We talked a lot. and then I cried a little more. The past 7 years have really been hard . There is no doubt about that. There have been moments when I thought that I had taken all I could as a mother... there have been times when I thought for sure, Parklen had taken all he could... In 7 years, I cannot count the nig...

Man, although I have epically failed to write about things of late.....there have been some major happenings in the lives of The Henderson's. I feel almost guilty for slacking.....but then again, I have barely found the time to take a shower lately... The end of year craziness of the school year seemed to begin my cycle of crazy the last few months, as it does with most mothers with school aged children. Paysen completed the 2nd grade...he excelled in most everything this past year...learning so much about himself and what he loves to do... Parklen finished Kindergarten.  He didn't just get by, he didn't barely get through....he did well. He excelled... He learned.  Now, when you get through with Kindergarten, there is a little thing known as Kindergarten Graduation.... A milestone that many parents treasure.....and kids celebrate... I knew for a few months that Parklen would not be able to participate in the graduation.  After all, there would be kids there.......