Saturday Morning Joy

This past Saturday was the first in a long time that we've woken up without having to rush out of the house to make the 4 hour drive to Orlando to visit our girl. This Saturday morning was different. Both our girls were up early and peeked into our bedroom at about 9 am to let us know they were up and bored. It was nice. Having our baby home is more than “amazing” (as she says). Hearing her and sister’s giggles from their rooms is actually one of the best sounds I’ve ever heard. She is home, where she belongs and that feels good. At the same time, we know how hard it is for her and how challenging life has become and it saddens us deeply. We've been telling ourselves for weeks that she will be different, as one of her doctors told me a while ago “that life with our daughter as we knew it a year ago will not be the same” because she is not the same. 

As painful and difficult as these last seven weeks were, I think our daughter grew a lot while she was in that facility. She learned a lot about herself, her weaknesses and strengths, and she learned to value the gifts that God has blessed her with. I think as a family, we have all learned that lesson in these last seven weeks. My child is in a much better place today than she was before she left. Her smile is real and contagious. She's eager to get back to school and church and all that she's missed out on. 

Today will be hard. I’m sure most of this week will be hard. Going back to school will probably stir up a lot of feelings for her that she hasn't had to deal with in two months. I think I’m more anxious today then when she started kindergarten or even middle school. I wish I could keep her in a bubble. Somewhere safe where she wouldn't have to deal with people that are hurtful and things that make her uncomfortable. That’s unrealistic, I know but I just wish that were me instead of her today having to face everything and everyone. 

Please pray that her day goes smoothly. That she can use the skills that she learned while she was away and that she can lean on her God when things around her get to be too much.