One of the worst feelings in this world is watching your child suffer and you are helpless to fix it. It is even worse when you know situations will impact not only your children but grandchildren as well. So much is going on behind the scenes of this marvelous one’s life that I haven’t shared, and it is all surrounding my daughter. Life is changing in big ways for her and her husband, but the transition has been seriously difficult and challenging. The rug of life was yanked out from under them in recent months and yet she kept trying to keep all the balls of life she juggles in the air and not, as she likes to say, completely lose her shit. I am not in a position to do much to help other than watch the boys whenever possible and pray. Let me tell you, the power of prayer is real, and a mother’s love wrapping those prayers and delivering them heavenward, combined with a mustard seed size faith have been powerfully answered. But oh the lessens in humility and transparency have not been easy for her and her wonderful husband. Thankfully she has an amazing, godly woman with a heart of gold that gives it all (this chick is going to die empty one day because she truly does give everything she has for others while fighting her own demons) on her side. Every woman needs a Steph for a friend.
The changes have not been easy, but my daughter in all her amazing-ness is rolling with the situation and making the best of it. A big move, a new home, toddlers who lack the words to express their feelings in the midst of the changes going on so they act out, 8 dogs (this will be changing soon but it gives perspective), 2 households under one roof (also changing soon) and while the punches of life have not stopped, this woman child of mine is weathering the storm. I can hear my mom telling her to hang on, the landscape of her life will look very different in a year and she WILL get through this, I just wish mom was still here for her to be able to talk too because something about her visits with grandma always helped. Now, we just have to go with “what would grandma say/do”.
I will let Steph tell the story, and when my daughter tosses in her perspective I’ll share that as well. By the way Steph’s life is no picnic but rather one of daily struggle and yet she is ever an inspiration to this old lady of handling what cards she is dealt with humor, grace, chaos and faith, all the while caring for the world around her.
I’m about to go hip deep into this ongoing story, adding a big twist to it that will hopefully be a huge help to my baby girl, but that is another post for the near future. As things unfold I’ll share more. For now, I just want to thank Steph and Kooper for being incredible, selfless, giving answers to prayer and allowing God to use them to help others.
Marti Gardner 