Monday, January 7, 2008

Julian

For awhile now I have been following a blog written by Mimi. She is mom to Julian. Julian is 4 and is in the final stages from medulloblastoma. They didn't expect him to live until Christmas. He has amazed everyone but is getting weaker. Today his breathing has become weaker and he is on oxygen. Mimi wrote the following and I just wanted to pass it on because it is so important to make sure that we let our loved ones know that they are loved - that we say the words and give the time and the hugs.
Mimi writes: My little man is now on oxygen. His breathing has slowed down. He doesnt stay awake much anymore and has a hard time talking. He is working so hard on his wings but yet holding back...
Do you have kids?
Do you ever lay down by them? Do they ever crawl up in your bed? Do you watch them sleep? You probably do , BUT , do you sit there and count how many breaths they take in a minute? Julian is down to 12 . Not enough.
Could you please start doing this if you dont already do it? Have one night a week or every two weeks , where your whole family gets in PJ's and let everyone fall asleep together. I know some of you have more than 2 kids...take turns. Let them sleep by you or on you , just really close. Let them talk to you about anything and everything until they fall asleep. And yep, you might not sleep well and wake up with the sore neck, but it will be a forever memory , a priceless gift you are giving your children and yourself... Dont listen to the "specialists " when they tell you it is not healthy to sleep with your kids, they have never lost a child obviously or they would know that not only it is healthy ,it is part of life. What I remember as a child and a teenager and a grownup is how safe I felt falling asleep in my parents bed, by my mom talking to her... Dont listen to the ones who say how sick it is to have your teenage son come to your bed and lay with you for a while before bed or in the mornings. They are your babies and that never changes... And always remember as they talk to you to respond to them in a loving way... Tell them about God, Jesus, tell them about angels, tell them about life and death... If you dont know about death ,it scares you. Knowledge is power. You can deal with things if you know what they are... And as much as we hate talking about it ,kids need to know ,it is essential for us to answer them and not dismiss them and their questions.
I really dont know where I am going with this... Just love your kids and tell them you do because they are special and because they are a gift...And also because you never know what life might throw at you...

2 comments:

Darla said...

Oh my goodness Janice... I've missed your blogs & now you have me in tears.... Thanks for the post... I know somedays we all get down on ourselves, our kids & they always say "if you look down the road you'll find someone worse off than you"... Yeah maybe this last month has been a total struggle with Adrian & his ADHD but at least I have him, to zoom around out of control, to wake me up in the middle of the night cuz he can't sleep. My heart goes out to her. But thanks for putting things back into perspective :)

Anonymous said...

What a powerful message, I sit here listening to my two argue over TV shows and thank god that they can. I take for granted the gifts that are in my life, and give not enough thanks for everyday events. This blog has opened a place in my heart that will help me see things a little more clearly.
Give my favorite four Big Licky Kisses!
Jenni