Menopause, what?!?!

Menopause. Seriously?!?! I am 38 years old, and according to the doctor … in full-blown menopause. I thought the doctor had to be wrong. Or at least making a not-so-funny joke. Nope, the second labs confirmed the diagnosis.

I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean c’mon, my body was surely going to have some type of protest after the last year. Losing my Nannie then the accident and subsequent months in the hospital. That would take its toll on anyone. Also, did y’all know the IRS audited us 3 days after the wreck?? Nope, not kidding. And they didn’t care that we were in the hospital with our children or that they might die. Carla from Bookkeeping Plus was such a blessing and took over everything AND made several trips to Vanderbilt. Did I mention that her and her team put in numerous hours and didn’t even charge us??? There were other trials that we endured this year but I have decided to wait until I finish the book to discuss them. Needless to say, if menopause is the worst of it, then I am fortunate.

At first, I wasn’t going to talk about this but with only my closet family and friends. It is kind of embarrassing to admit that I am going through the “change of life” and I am not even 40. That is what older women do, right??? But after thinking about it, I decided to hell  with that!

My body has earned the right to go into full-blown menopause at any age! After all, I have birthed 2 beautiful boys. I have endured levels of stress that most could only imagine. I am still standing strong. And best of all…. I haven’t committed a physical assault on anyone!! Plus, I now have the perfect excuse. It isn’t my fault, blame it on the menopause 😉

With Mother’s Day just a few days away, I am reminded why I am proud to be a woman. To be a mother. They say being a mother is the hardest job in the world. I absolutely freaking agree!!! It is also the most rewarding thing a woman can ever experience. Yes, we have to deal with all of the drama of being a woman, including trivial little matters like menopause. But at the end of it all, anything and everything is worth the joy of being a mother. To be a mother, I will embrace menopause and everything else that comes with it.

Love and blessings,

C.C.

 

 

Jesus is Real Y’all

I love my conversations with Jackson when it is just me and him in the truck. I never know just what we may talk about. Sometimes it is a funny story, others it is just a million questions as kids are subject to do.

Today, he talked to me about his trip to heaven.

I always knew there was more to share than he was ready to talk about the first time he told me he saw Jesus the day of the accident. Today he wanted to talk to me about the details of his trip.

He said that he went up the stairs to heaven. When he got towards the top he started to have a good feeling all over his body, and that is when he saw Jesus. Although he didn’t actually have to talk with his mouth, Jesus told him that he was going to be paralyzed but that he was going to be okay.

He also spoke about how in heaven you could instantly think of things but before you could finish the thought it appeared. Things were instant in heaven, and he knew immediately that being paralyzed meant him being in a wheelchair.

I believe there was more with the experience of “instant thoughts” that make things appear, but he isn’t ready to speak about it, and I don’t push him.  He will share it when he is ready.

He said that coming back to his body was also instant. He was in heaven one minute and he opened his eyes to the paramedics walking with him on the stretcher the next.

We then talked about how blessed he is that God gave him “another life” as he calls it. I am the one blessed, because I get to share my life with this awesome kid!

I am sharing Jackson’s story because I know this is something that God has asked me to do. I pray that his story touches others who need it. If someone was unsure about God and the truth of His word, I pray Jackson’s experience helps them to see just how good God is. If they feel alone, this helps them to know that they are never alone. There is a God who loves them and one day they will be reunited with lost loved ones.

Help me share Jackson’s story by sharing it with others. Tell it to your friends and family. Share it on Facebook and Twitter. Help others know that yes, there is a God and oh man He is GOOD!

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Love and blessings,

C.C.

Field Day

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I will be honest and admit that I was really worried about this day. Jackson, of course, was completely ready and beyond excited about it. We picked out the Powerade’s he wanted to take and his clothes the evening before. In his mind he was going to be able to do everything. It is sometimes hard to imagine how his 7-year-old mind processes things. He has never seen what he can’t do. Only how he CAN do it.

It didn’t take him long to realize just how different this day would be from the two other field days he participated in before. Jackson has always handled his emotions better than even most adults. He processes them slowly and has very little tells to clue you in to what he is thinking. He became quite and put his head in his lap.

As a parent, it is hard to watch. I know what he is feeling. What he is thinking. And I can’t change it. He has been invited to birthday parties that involve physical activity. I hadn’t wanted to face it so we didn’t go.  Jackson runs headlong into everything. I was the one scared. I knew eventually we would have to face this. It was inevitable. And when he whispered to me in his low voice, “I wish I could walk”. All I could say is, “Me too baby.”

The first ribbon someone gave him for just participating, the look on his face broke my heart. I know they were trying to help. They were trying to include him and make him feel special. He saw it for what it was. A ribbon he didn’t earn. I was torn between wanting him to succeed in each event in any way possible, and wanting to push him to earn the ribbon himself. After the egg race he put his head down and whispered to me, “I am a bad boy because I cheated.” Even though he was told to hold the egg while someone pushed his chair, he felt like he cheated by doing so.

Finally, he won a ribbon on his own. Of course, he had to participate in a special way, but this ribbon he DESERVED. Despite the fact that he struggled during each race with what he couldn’t do, he still participated in every single one that he was able. This kid doesn’t let anything stop him. Yes, he struggles sometimes accepting what is. But, he still pushes forward, despite it all.

Although my first reaction when he wanted to go into the bouncy house was to worry about how it could be done and how his body would respond, I quickly replied, “Let’s do it!” He had a blast and the smile on his face was worth my now very sore muscles (they need these things in gyms for adults cause it is a definite workout, let me tell ya).

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I am very thankful that Jackson goes to a school that allows him to try to do everything he can. For a teacher that pushes him. And for an assistant that loves on him when we aren’t there to do so.

And by the time we were on our way home, he was proud of all the awards he had, even those he didn’t earn himself. As he told his brother Joshua with a huge smile on his face, “They gave me all of these ribbons. It’s the good thing about being paralysized.”

Love and blessings,

C.C.