An actual medical term?!?

This is the medical term of what goes on in Braydon’s mind when he gets upset at things that most kids/teens/adults can be told to get over or stop, for him he cannot. Yes, even Us his parents are caught telling him he needs to knock it off, but that is just us trying to work through the toughest of situations we have faced with him. Glad there is some form of identification of it and it helps people understand he isn’t being a teenager or spoiled child, wish that was the case for sure.

Staying your path

I recently went on a road trip to pick up my son for spring break from college. Anyone who has ever travelled through southern Wyoming knows that any time of year on I-80 is a gamble, we actually spent 16 hours sleeping on it quite a few years ago, but that is another story. So as you can guess I am not particularly fond of it. I thought it was good and late in spring and would be able to sail through with no issues, yeah right! As we approached 15 miles or so before Laramie, the warning signs were lighting up “slick road conditions with low visibilty” we were thick into it and no turning back. Reduced speed and distance were my friends. I watched a semi right in front of me attempt to pass another semi and immediately go into twisting, jack knifing  and sliding all over, I still don’t know how he overcame this and was able to stay on the road. I was far enough back but if he slid off I would end up being hit by his trailer or having to maneuver my car to avoid hitting him, so very thankful for small miracles like that. As the conditions started to clear up I was saddened to see all of the MANY trucks that didn’t weather as well. I think we counted at least 8 that overturned and were in the middle of the interstate. I seriously had blisters on my fingers from holding my steering wheel so tight the entire time. After arriving to our hotel for the night I prayed that night with gratitude for arriving safely and for the return trip to have less of those conditions. As I lay in bed thinking about what we had seen and made it through that day I couldn’t help but relate it to our individual paths in life. The weather being our literal storms in life. The slow and steady pace that I was driving was doing what was right. The semi that started to lose its direction was someone who was tempted and overcame those temptations. Coming out of the storm and seeing the overturned trucks were those who had fallen off their pathways of life. The blisters on my hands were repentance and that sometimes you have to hold tight and it may hurt at times but in the long run it steered you back to the right path.  I couldn’t help think I had visualized what it must be like for our Heavenly Father watching over his children and how he must feel for each and everyone of us wether we are on the righteous path or temporarily fallen off.  I have driven back through that same area a few times since then and each time I try to see exactly where we were when the storm came upon us, but none of it looks the same to me with or without snow, so interesting. 

Friends

One thing I have learned over the years it is great having a good friend. I have had many over the years and I have a few  for many many many years. Everyone has this struggle,  this is nothing special with our individual family’s dynamics at all. However:

I have learned that no matter what at some point some time there is a change in my friendship due to our special situation. We call it the “friendship honeymoon phase”. It isn’t malicious or planned, but it happens. No matter how hard I try not to come across with the slightest envy or jealousy,  it happens. No one knows exactly what it is like to live our lives except us as it is the same with me knowing how their life is too. It is the simple fact that we are all human and are far from perfect. What do I mean exactly? How many times does someone want to hear, let alone see it with their own eyes that we will forever be taking care of our child, that is extremely difficult for some to understand and the few that see it or get it are such a blessing. For example: Innocently many times I am in the midst of a conversation about the couples only trip, empty nesters and the one that gets me all the time is “we just let the kids fend for themselves and we go off to bed”. That uncomfortable feeling they get when I may be discussing our future and they realize that will never happen for us. It isn’t their fault, nor do I want pity on the fact that we have this challenge. It is by far the hardest thing we have endured and the challenges change as the years go on. What we have learned and how we have grown from it will always outweigh the challenges. Personally for me as an example I can only be around a person who is negative about everything in life for so long, so I see how things change as realizations come to those around us. Every friend that we have ever had always holds a special  place in our heart and lives. We learn so much from each of these friendships we have had as I know each of those friends have learned so much from us and what we bring to plate. 

No one should ever feel sorry that they are doing those things and we can’t or won’t be able too. We should always be happy for others when they are enjoying what life brings them. After all life is a journey, not a competition.