I remember those days completely, clearly, soberly. I remember the depth of what I felt. I remember, also, some very specific moments\u2026 like Andy and Rebecca taking turns spending the night so Mark and I could finally get some sleep\u2026 Marte\u00b4 filling my thermos with mocha each morn\u2026 Cindy bringing butterflied shrimp rockefeller to the waiting room\u2026 my family, Doug and Jan, the Y\u2019s and more, fervently lifting us up in prayer\u2026 Dr. Claudia, too, actually calling to talk to my incoherent, infant son, as he lay there motionless, hooked up to multiple meds, unable to breathe on his own most of that month of March. He was in critical care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My situation was dire. It was absolutely unwanted and unexpected, and it was one of the most gut-wrenching, grueling experiences of my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then there was the morning more began to congregate in the room next door. In and out, members of the medical team would go. The pace was swift. The mood was somber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A fascinating thing about the ICU wing of the hospital\u2026 no matter what\u2019s happening in one room, the staff still has to be painstakingly attentive to who\u2019s in each of the other rooms. When the cardiac RN went from the adjacent room and then into ours, with the tracks of her tears still evident on her cheeks, I learned the heart transplant involving ten year old Tabitha next door was unsuccessful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Friends, I have no desire today to write about my experience in my son\u2019s initial year of life. It\u2019s not that I mind sharing Josh\u2019s story \u2014 we learn so incredibly much through the gut-wrenching and grueling; it\u2019s just that today, there\u2019s a more relevant insight to share. It\u2019s the value and beauty of perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perspective means understanding how a piece of a puzzle fits with the whole \u2014 how one aspect, opinion, or experience relates to the entirety of all that\u2019s going on. While my son\u2019s plight was awful, for example, it was still not the plight of the precious adolescent next door.
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\nWith the current economic shutdown, we hear increased grumbling. We hear frustration. We hear weariness, sadness \u2014 exhaustion and anxiousness, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I get it. Our plights are hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key events, experiences, long-planned moments and celebrations have been cancelled\u2026 weddings, funerals, vacations, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think of graduation. High school and college grads have been dreaming of that day since they waddled through the elementary doors. All the pomp and circumstance is simply gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How then is wise to react?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Allow me to quote Lydia Lee, a high school senior in northwest Iowa and future Iowa State Cyclone\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI spent days wallowing in grief over the missed opportunities I worked so hard for. My sadness was warranted, but here\u2019s the deal: Each one of us is at a crossroads, and we must choose the path to take. We can either continue down the road of self-pity, or we can rise up.\u201d<\/em> But Lydia goes one step further, which is the more relevant insight to share today. Hear it from her \u2014 not from me\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe all seem to carry on with our lives without a care in the world until we are completely stopped in our tracks. Here\u2019s a valuable lesson: Nothing in life is promised. And once this whole coronavirus craze is over, let\u2019s not forget it. Make the most of every second. Know that no tomorrow is never guaranteed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As challenging as this has been, let\u2019s maintain perspective. Thousands of people around the world are sick and dying. Many have lost their jobs or are mourning the loss of loved ones. Though it doesn\u2019t minimize your struggle, remember that the world is struggling alongside us. None of us is in this alone.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s maintain perspective. Our individual struggles are not minimized. Be sensitive. Simply be aware of the bigger situation, the entirety of all that\u2019s going on\u2026 including, I soberly suggest, of the precious person next door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the record, Josh is scheduled to graduate this May. Not sure what that\u2019s going to look like now \u2014 the school is still shut down, the ceremony is postponed, and people probably won\u2019t be able to get here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But 18 years after he lay motionless on that hospital bed, there is much to celebrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s the beauty of perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I remember those days completely, clearly, soberly. I remember the depth of what I felt. I remember, also, some very specific moments\u2026 like Andy and Rebecca taking turns spending the night so Mark and I could finally get some sleep\u2026 Marte\u00b4 filling my thermos with mocha each morn\u2026 Cindy bringing butterflied shrimp rockefeller to the … <\/p>\n
That\u2019s it. Our sadness (and grumbling and frustration and weariness, etc.)<\/em> actually is<\/em><\/strong> warranted. It\u2019s understandable given this unwanted and unexpected situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n