Friday, August 27, 2010

I'm Gonna Knock Your Socks Off

Our youngest grandchild started kindergarten this year.  We're blessed to be here in Colorado to watch the transformation. He proudly entered the house after his first day saying, "Grandma, I'm going to knock your socks off!" And then he proceeded to read his first student made school book with great pride.

It's good to be reminded of the great joy of learning.  We're here with three little boys who are entering into new worlds with new schools and classmates.  We too, are entering new worlds.  Sameness is safe and venturing out can be quite fearful. We've ventured many miles from our safe place.  Jed has a new doctor, a new OT therapist, a new PT therapist, new methods, new bed to sleep in, new TV remote to get used to, new, new, new.  Some of it is hard for him.  Some of it is painful.  Some it is hard for me and some of it is painful, but all in all we are going to knock your socks off.

I'm so proud of Jed.  He works so hard.  Today he had a "tired" day.  Tomorrow he will be ready to stand and practice walking.  He doesn't give up.  He doesn't say things like, "I'll never get better."  He is a man of great strength, great faith in himself, great faith in me, and great faith in God.  And, he has a marvelous sense of humor that carries us both through tough days.

Shared living is quite a lovely thing.  There's just more people to carry the weight of life.  Never in my wildest imagination did I think we would be living in a house with my son and his family, but it is quite nice.  I almost feel like John Boy should be saying, "Good night, Grandpa."  It's nice.  Just a few minutes ago our oldest, Ian, was digging through the refrigerator.  I went out and said, "hungry?" "Yeah, and there's nothing good.  Do you have anything good in your fridge?"  So we quietly searched and found a cucumber.  Odd, I know, but he loves them.  "Thanks Grandma, goodnight."  Moments like that are magic.

We try to get the kids to talk about their school day so we started, "five things."  The idea is that they are to tell us five things that they did during the day.  It's a riot.  But today was a kicker.  "Well, grandma, I just didn't have a five things day."  Like who can't think of five things they did?

My five things today was:  we slept late (which was wonderful), Jen and I got pedicures,(which was wonderful), then we went shopping (which was wonderful), then we had steaks that Nate BBQ'd, (which was wonderful), and then we went fishing (which was wonderful, but we didn't catch a thing.)

But Jed didn't have a five things day.  He was just tired all day.  He got a massage yesterday that made him so relaxed that he couldn't really get with the day today.  Right now he's sleeping and when I look at him I see so much hope even in his sleep filled face. 

So, I'm here to tell you that, just like Gavin in his joy to share his great new book, "We're going to knock your socks off."  It's been 16 months and it's much longer than we had in our heads for his recovery, but we both are still strong in our faith and commitment to his recovery.  Watch out.  One of these days Jed will be able to put his socks on and that indeed will knock my socks off. 

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