When the doctor told us he was bleeding into his brain at 1 day old, our hearts, that were filled with happiness to be parents of a beautiful baby boy, suddenly sank. What did this mean? What can we do about it? How serious is this? Is he going to be ok? For the next 12 days, he was in an incubator because his little body wasnt regulating a consistent temperature. IVs in his tiny hands and not to mention cranial ultra sounds, x rays, and a spinal tap at 3 days old. Countless prayers, tears, hugs, visits, calls and texts from family and friends helped us endure the worst 12 days of our lives. Since then, life took on a different meaning for me. It means family comes first, always. It means help somebody if you can and if you cant , pray for them. It means that youre not in control of your life, God is and He has a specific plan so worry and stress are unnecessary because he is in control. It means being there for your family and friends if they need you, because you may need them one day. Tomorrow is my best friends birthday. As I look back at the last 7 yrs, I wonder if Im doing it right. I wonder if I can be a better Father. If so, how? I didnt have a Father growing up to set an example for me, so Im just doing what feels right in my heart. I know and will be the first one to admit that im far from a perfect man. Ive made plenty of mistakes in my life and a lot of you know what they are. But today, we attended church at his school and as I looked over at my kids, I had a huge proud smile on my face as I saw Jake help Hannah find the right page in the hymnal and I couldnt help but take a picture of it. Jacob Thomas, what Im about to say, you wont truly understand what I mean until you have a son of your own, and I pray that God blesses you with him. But Im proud of you, son. Im proud of the fight you fought in the hospital 7 yrs ago. Im proud of all the Saturday mornings you came with me handing out food at the food pantry. Im proud of you for shaving your head to help raise money for St. Baldricks. Im proud of you for helping raise money for Special Olympics at Cop on Top. Im proud of you for remembering to pray before every meal no matter where that meal takes place. I can go on and on....but Jake, Im proud of you. I hope your 7th birthday is a happy one and memorable. You are my best friend, son. I love you with everything I have inside me. Happy birthday! Best friends forever, no matter what! High 5! BOOM! Go Sox, Go Hawks, Go Irish, Go Bears!
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 23:53:30 +0000