Today, we went to "Art in the Park" at Lakeview Park in Nampa. We saw many many booths, lots of fun stuff! :)
One booth we saw that was cool was an artist named "Non" Reyes. Mr. Reyes was involved in a motor vehicle accident 22 years ago that left him paralyzed from his shoulders down and unable to breathe on his own. The story goes on to say that several months after the accident, his young son asked Non to scratch his back, and Non was trying to decide how to tell his son he couldn't do it. His son, seeing his father's difficulty, said, " With your whiskers, Daddy." He then climbed up on his father's chest so Non could scratch his son's back with his chin. He was inspired then to be positive. I read this story and was brought to tears by this sweet 3 year old child's ability to help his daddy see what COULD be done instead of what couldn't.
I purchased a beautiful print with birch trees in fall colors after agonizing between that and one of a scene with pine trees and a creek. I got home and showed the kids the print of this painting done by Non with his mouth and read the story to them. My sweet 17 year old son with autism said, "He has a really blessed life!"
If you knew this kid, you'd know that it's not a normal thing for him to recognize his own blessings, let alone the blessings of others. This is my child whom I was told would never drive or live independently. I am SO grateful for him and his insight today. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for lending me this child who teaches me constantly.
If you are interested in Non's work, I've left a link below. Enjoy.
Mouth Art
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Tonight, it's been a year...
OK, this is not even close to the same as a Jet's song... But it was a year ago tonight (it's still the 28th in my mind because I haven't gone to bed yet) since I got a phone call that changed my life. It turned my world up-side down and sideways. If you've read this blog at all, you know the story. Anyway - it seems like it just happened in some ways, and in others like it's light years away from where I am now.
When I lost my baby, on her birthday the following year, I thought, "Wow, it's been a year. I just might be able to keep going." That first year was absolute HELL. It was painfully slow in passing. And that's sort of how I feel about this. Several sheets of Paper VooDoo later, (one of which was rubber-banded to a rock and thrown onto Lake Lowell - I say ONto because it was crazy late at night, pitch black, SO foggy, and neither my sponsor or I thought about the fact that the damn lake would be FROZEN- but it's NOW at the bottom of lake) I have finally gotten to the year mark. I think I've had a LOT of tests and trials to deal with while I've been working through some of it. But it's been a whole year. And I just might be able to keep going. There have been SO many things in addition to Paper VooDoo that I've done to try and make myself feel better. And NOTHING has helped. The only thing that has worked for me is praying like crazy that I can let go, and knowing that, when given an opportunity, I didn't have to make the mistake she did. I'm not the same as she is. I'm not better or worse, but I'm different. And sometimes that's just good enough. Sometimes, just knowing that I'm healing is the difference between going absolutely crazy and being okay enough to survive just one more day. One more minute.
This man I love is not perfect. But neither am I. And hopefully we can just be, accept our differences, our similarities, and strengths and our weaknesses... and at the end of the day just continue to love each other. I'll stay on the train as long as it's still underneath my feet. On New Year's Eve, we were BOTH so relieved to get 2013 behind us. And NOW I feel like it is really gone. And so is *she. Goodbye.
When I lost my baby, on her birthday the following year, I thought, "Wow, it's been a year. I just might be able to keep going." That first year was absolute HELL. It was painfully slow in passing. And that's sort of how I feel about this. Several sheets of Paper VooDoo later, (one of which was rubber-banded to a rock and thrown onto Lake Lowell - I say ONto because it was crazy late at night, pitch black, SO foggy, and neither my sponsor or I thought about the fact that the damn lake would be FROZEN- but it's NOW at the bottom of lake) I have finally gotten to the year mark. I think I've had a LOT of tests and trials to deal with while I've been working through some of it. But it's been a whole year. And I just might be able to keep going. There have been SO many things in addition to Paper VooDoo that I've done to try and make myself feel better. And NOTHING has helped. The only thing that has worked for me is praying like crazy that I can let go, and knowing that, when given an opportunity, I didn't have to make the mistake she did. I'm not the same as she is. I'm not better or worse, but I'm different. And sometimes that's just good enough. Sometimes, just knowing that I'm healing is the difference between going absolutely crazy and being okay enough to survive just one more day. One more minute.
This man I love is not perfect. But neither am I. And hopefully we can just be, accept our differences, our similarities, and strengths and our weaknesses... and at the end of the day just continue to love each other. I'll stay on the train as long as it's still underneath my feet. On New Year's Eve, we were BOTH so relieved to get 2013 behind us. And NOW I feel like it is really gone. And so is *she. Goodbye.
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