it's all worth it

I'm driving my 15 year old (when did he GET that old!) to a friends house the other night and we are talking about his older sister. I'm telling him how great she is doing, that she is so willing to get better, no matter what that looks like and so excited about God and how he will work with her through all of this. As the conversation continues I become very aware of the reality that is taking place. Yes, things are going very well right now. Yes, things that we NEVER thought possible are happening at this very moment and it is nothing short of a miracle, or at least this is how it feels for our family and others who have been down this road I am sure. However, I have to be real with myself and know that just as quickly as this happened, it could change back. I have to remind myself that this is a long road and the hard part is not necessarily over ... not yet.
I tried to explain to Tristan that it's sort of like when your toddler drives you crazy all day long (and he lives with my 2 year old so he gets this analogy) but at night they are so sweet and angelic that it makes up for anything that happened that day.
When someone you love is in a dark place and then decides to accept help, when you can see them turning back into the person that they once were ... it almost makes up for the 4 and a half years of pain. Pain that was felt through the whole family, moms, dads, siblings, everyone and none more than the person themselves.

As a good parent thats all we want, thats all we can hope for - that one day they will see what we see so clearly.

There will be bad days, no doubt. Knowing though, that when there is a bad day, or maybe a terrible day, that she is surrounded by support and people who care, that makes it all worth it.

As a parent when you have to accept the fact that YOU can't help your child, that stings like nothing else. When you've admitted to yourself that holding their hand through this won't cut it this time, you are then eternally grateful for the Angels that come along and CAN help. People who have made this their life, who love your family almost as much as you do. It's hard to believe that these people truly exist but I assure you they do, and THEY make it all worth it.

I don't share these stories for any other reason than this ...

Throughout the last 4 years I have come across other brave parents, family members, even friends who have walked this road. They were not afraid or embarrassed to tell their stories and in doing so they helped me more than I could ever express. If by sharing MY families stories I can help or encourage even one person ... all of the hard days, all of the "why don't you keep that private?" ... it will all be worth it.