Hi Everyone,

We have been working through a very tough week. Last night and this morning Corey was inconsolable; we had to call out of Bryn Mawr for today.

When any of us are facing a difficult time, it’s natural, normal…human, to think “how am I going to get through this”? “When is enough, enough”? “When is this going to be over”? “How did we get here”? “This is not part of ‘MY’ plan”!

This week there was no clock to track day from night; nor a calendar to differentiate the days. We were going through our memorized routine despite the fact it’s anything but routine. That happens sometimes, one day flows into the next without a break. Anyone that has ever been a caregiver understands this description.

So what do we do? It’s been so difficult this week I couldn’t write last night and wasn’t going to write tonight but two separate people (strangers in life but friends of the carepages) gave me the courage to get through last night and today.

We’ve all heard of ‘Random Acts of Kindness’. Since Corey’s accident we have been blessed to receive a number of gifts from so many people; some we knew, some wanted to remain anonymous.

Yesterday morning there was a package tied to our mailbox. Enclosed in the gift bag was a note from a woman I’ve never met. She has been reading our journal for two years. She was intimidated to leave a note in fear that her intent would be misunderstood. On the contrary, she was inspired to write and deliver her gift on the very day it would be most needed. A small MP3 player held a recording of the full Rosary. Her card detailed a recent challenge she endured. The recording gave her comfort during her difficult days. The words were nurturing and non-threatening reminding me that the Blessed Mother doesn’t care if I go to church. She was a Mother who prayed for her child too.

Corey frequently wakes throughout the night screaming for me. Her heightened anxiety is exasperated by seeing an unfamiliar face in her room; a new night nurse is beginning to orient with us. She rejects anyone that is not ‘Mom’. At one point, I couldn’t calm her down. I recalled the message in my note, ‘I listened to this version of the Rosary when I needed a moment of peace’. I took the ear buds, gave one to Corey and placed its mate in my ear. I turned the player on and watched Corey’s face. Her eyes never left mine. When she heard the narrator, she recalled the prayers and her face lit up, her eyes become wider, childlike and she smiled…surprised she said,”I remember”. Each decade was followed by a song. It was not a hymn we have ever heard before. When Corey heard it, she signed the lyrics as they played. Then she closed her eyes and dozed off. I would sneak back to my room only to be startled awake by another bellowing cry. This was the pattern for the night.

This afternoon’s gift was my motivational reading for the day. Someone that knows me through a friend of a friend sent me an email. He shared that he woke up at 4:44am. He sat by the side of his bed, lit a candle for light, inspired by his dream he began writing a message he knew was for Corey and me. Another God moment; I woke at 4:44am exhausted, feeling like I was at my breaking point. He was inspired to write the words I needed to read today.

I want to share it with all of you because as I read and reread this message, it occurred to me that it was meant for all of us. The details of our individual stories don’t matter. How we learn to “live” our life’s challenges does. We can all learn from each other. More importantly, we need one another. We need the random acts of kindness to appear in our lives. We need not only to receive but to give them to others.

Inspiration isn’t passive, it’s the deliberate perspective and actions we take to help each other get through the tough days. Thank you to my two new friends and to all of you for walking beside us the past two years, xoxo

Silent Message

you do it.
you do it because you can
you do it because you should
not because you’re special
not because no one else can
you just do it
and, by doing it
someone else is inspired
and so they do it
and they inspire someone
and so they do it
and, before you know it
a bunch of people are doing it
you see … it can start with one
and it can have this ripple effect …
this snowball effect
maybe you know you inspired someone,
maybe you don’t
but, you just do it anyway
go
do it
just go
make a difference …
in your life,
in someone else’s life,
in the world.
go …
do it …
Now !

(after meditating, He added …)

what is important, is to go …
to keep moving forward …
to be an example for others …
to smile …
to share …
to listen …
to know …
to go.