Do you know what makes a ‘happy mother’? A unified home front. 🙂 I suppose because of all I’ve been going through this past week my mind keeps going to all that Neal endures on a daily basis. An abundance of gratitude goes out to all of you who have been praying for Neal. I will certainly keep you informed next week of what we find out in regards to his MRI and if he has to go on the IV steroids.
In the interim he has been doing well. The man has my utmost admiration. I was thinking about it this morning when I came home from a workout at 6am and he was already showered, dressed and headed off to work…with probably only 3-4 hours of sleep. The MS keeps him awake at night (restless syndrome I suppose) and it knocks him out during the day but he has to continue because he does not have the luxury of naps on the job. 😉 For three years he has endured his right side from the chest down being ‘numb’, not so numb that he can’t actually use it but numb that he can’t feel sensation or anything sharp if touched. Now the disease is adding the constant ‘buzzing’ sensation that comes and goes in 15 second intervals (as if your phone was vibrating on your hip). Let’s add to this the weakness (culprit of possible relapse) in his left leg that causes him to stumble a bit as the day wears on and if this is a relapse and we don’t attack it with the IV steroids it could become worse and permanent requiring the use of a cane and ultimately loss of the ability to walk all together.
For those of you how know Neal, and even if you’ve read about how we met in my book EXPOSED, you know that he is the definition of optimistic and easy going. He suffers all of the above and still manages to not complain one bit (with the exception of telling me when he is feeling the new symptom or fear of the weakness). If I had to endure all of the above I’d be whining and wanting to lay on the couch all day wishing it away. But he comes home with a smile on his face and if times at work aren’t too stressful, a playful attitude as well. 😉
Being that this weekend is Mother’s Day I do want to say HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!! However, what I’ve come to appreciate in this past week is that I would not be a ‘happy mother’ if I didn’t have my best friend along side me to protect me, provide for me and our children, and support me in doing what God is calling me to do. Yes, I am a lucky woman and a ‘happy mom’ and ‘happy wife’. 🙂
It took a long time for me to come to appreciate what I have. There was a long time that I held an ‘ideal’ that the world gave me and if Neal didn’t ‘react’ or ‘uphold’ to that ideal I fussed and complained. As well if my kids didn’t come to the standards at which I ‘thought’ needed to make a ‘good family’ I fretted and worried wondering what I was doing wrong. What I finally came to realize was this:
Get over myself and like with all things – GIVE IT UP TO GOD. 🙂
I pray you all enjoy this Mother’s Day, whether it be getting a little R&R on your own or being with the family doing ‘family things’…I pray God opens your eyes to the gift that is set before you.
Blessings
Shannon