June 24, 2008
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Firsts are truly exciting for us!
It’s our first week of summer (because our favorite resident just got home for the summer….with significantly more time scheduled for home than away), Hillary took her first dip in the pool and I am on my first train ride. Oh and her son has his first practice and game all in one week…something he has longed for since being away from his long time friends. He’s also here for the first Birthday party he’s been able to attend with his friends since last September having missed “waaaayyyy too many” in his words. He’s now saying “Yippee Skippee”, too
(Oh yes, and Boss Kevin– I think I’m going to have to take my first ever two week vacation off, if that’s OK.) Double Yippee Skippee!!
I have been away from home for too long and I can hardly wait to get there. Hillary and I have been text messaging all day and it’s so great to read her sweet notes. She is so happy to have her son home—as are we ALL! And he absolutely cracks all of us up as Hillary mothers him and he says, “Wow! That’s awesome Mom!…..You are doing exactly what you should….getting after me when I’m not being very good.” What a sweet and old soul that kid is!
Hillary is really just getting back into the swing of things after her visit to Nashville. BSILE (Best Son-In-Law Ever, Billy) told us a story from her visit. She was out with friends at Virago and feeling pretty blue with her circumstances….particularly the wheelchair. At some point the group asked her if she’d like to lose the wheels and sit at the table with all of them. They sort of kept the chair out of site and “like a switch, says BSILE and Jim” she was the old Hillary and teaching all of them to use their chopsticks. They cannot get over the change and it will be a lesson for all of us for the future.
We hope to continue to be able to update you about our injured angel’s journey through this site. We hope the contents and images along with prayers continue to uplift not only our circle, but other trauma survivor families who continue to share their stories with us as they visit Hillablog. Our family is excited to be a part of a new resource coming soon to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and through that, Hillary’s journey will continue to be a much needed story for families who need to see the light at the end of the tunnel of trauma crisis. (More on that later) And I’m sure there will come a day when her pages and story (and pictures) will be quite different and much more typical of the sites one can find all over the internet on MySpace and Facebook. But for now, we are very proud of this site and you… and all Hillary and her son and our family and friends can do to support others in need of hope after trauma.
Thanks for staying with us until we could get back to you with another update. We still feel your prayers of support in every way!
XOXOX
–Shawn
