When you help someone else how does that make you feel? For me, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. It lets me know I'm doing the right thing. If I were to do something for only self-satisfying reason, there isn't that good feeling that comes with it. You feel kind of icky after it's all said and done and you've had time to think about it. I always think back to Mari and her time in the hospital. On the day the "Doom and Gloom Squad" sat us down one final time to tell us that our beautiful … [Read more...]
Day 121: Life Rafts
Life rafts can come to mean so many different things to different people. For me, my life rafts come from my Heavenly Father. He knows when I’m about to drown. It’s in these moments He gives me a life raft, in other words, He carries me through whatever is happening in my life at that time. When Mari got sick and we started on our very long sixteen day journey that felt like the worst roller coast I’d ever been on, and I love roller coasters. It’s like I couldn’t wait for the terrible ride to … [Read more...]
Featured Posts
For a while I've wanted to have a section at the top of Mari's website the lead to import posts or pages that someone might be interested. My hope is that it will be helpful. If you ever have any suggestions for her site please do not hesitate to let me know. I appreciate all input. I want to thank all my followers. I know you may not always comment but I know you are there reading what I write. To know my words have touched others warms my heart. And just think, all of this is because of my … [Read more...]
T is for Time
Mari's time may not have been long on this earth but the impression she made on those around her will last forever. When we think about a young child dying, the first thought that naturally comes to mind is they're too young too dye or they're time was too short or they aren't supposed to die before me. We are human and in our brains we can't wrap it around how not just a child, but any child for that matter, could die. Our hearts break any time we hear of one passing. Mari was no … [Read more...]
S is for Serious
Seriously, Mari was anything but serious. Autism. In and of itself is some pretty serious stereotypes. Children with autism don't show emotions, especially smiling and absolutely no laughing or giving of hugs. Eye contact. It doesn't happen. Concentration. Almost nonexistent. There are others as well but these ones are typically at the top of the list. I smile because not only did Mari have severe classic autism (on a scale of 1 to 10, Mari was between an 8 or 9), but she broke the mold … [Read more...]
R is for Remember
We will always remember our little angel who could flap her little wings and take flight in Mari's world. Remember. There is so much to remember about Mari. Her ability to make everything into a chewie toy. Whether she had her chewie tube on or her shirt sleeve, she found some way to chew on something. Preacakes. You might be wondering what in the world those are. They were Mari's word for pancakes. She loved them so much. She knew the ingredients needed to make them and she helped me to … [Read more...]
Day 68: Making Use of Fear
In life there are so many things we can be fearful of. Some seem irrational like small spaces, loud noises like fireworks shows, or even the little itty-bitty spiders that to some say, "it's more afraid of you than you of it." I think my granny (noises) and my mom (spiders) would beg to differ. When it comes to writing, fear can grind us to a halt. We are afraid of what some might say about our writing. Or we won't ever find an agent or publisher so why try. Or sometimes the strongest fears … [Read more...]
F is for Faith
Mari's cousin Faith was always the one to take care of Mari even though Faith was four years younger than her. Faith came into this world as a sweet beautiful little girl who grew into Mari's surrogate big sister even though she was younger. When we would come to visit Keith's mom and dad, Faith would bring Mari into her room and try her very best to force Mari to play with her. Here's the thing. No one could force Mari to do anything she didn't want to without Mari fighting you tooth and … [Read more...]
Day 8: The Voice that Chirps and Chirps
We all have a little voices inside our heads. Sometimes its just one. Sometimes negative. Sometimes positive. And sometimes they even go to war with each other. Kind of like the character Kronk in Disney's movie "The Emperor's New Groove". Whenever he's about to do something he shouldn't, an angel with a halo clothed in white appears on his left shoulder and a guy who seems to appear as a devil with horns and a pitchfork dressed in red pops up on his other shoulder. One represents good. The … [Read more...]
Day 1: Switchbacks up the Mountain
Switchbacks up the mountain can mean so many things. I think life in general is a continue road we travel up and down mountain. Sometimes the mountain is more of an easy hill that we climb and where life seems to move forward at a nice pace. But then there are those times where the road going up the mountain is so narrow and steep we feel we might fall off the edge plummeting to the ground below. I know that first year after Mari died my life felt more like the later. It felt like at any time … [Read more...]
