Our family is back together again.
When Gramma and Grandpa brought Ava and Henry home after Ella's g-tube surgery there was something different in the air. They somehow knew that a major change had occurred with Ella.
They missed us, I could tell. As they grow older they are becoming more and more attached to us. The hugs received from each of them were ones that clung a little bit tighter to us; they had more of a loving feel to them. Our two oldest children are growing up some--and beginning to feel more emotions regarding their parents.
As we prepared Ella for bed, Lindsay took some time to explain to Ava and Henry the g-tube that had been placed in her tummy. They listened with an intenseness that I had not witnessed from them before. They knew that the MIC-key button was something that had significance. They listened to every word that Lindsay told them. They are beginning to show their concern and caring nature toward their family members.
Many people tell us that because of Ella's diagnosis of SMA and all that comes with it, Ava and Henry will grow to be rather remarkable in terms of their compassion and tolerance for others. As we go through our daily lives we stop every so often and witness this development that is occurring within them...a development that does not often occur in people their age. The natural tendencies of children to show unconditional love for others coupled with the deep love they have for their sister is molding them...we watch as the "play-doh of their emotional and social lives" is being lovingly manipulated by the familial circumstances they find themselves.
They rely on one another. They look to their parents. They delight in their grandparents. They relish the love of their aunts and uncles. They look forward to their cousins. They enjoy all those who come to care for them or whom they go to for care. They are developing a sense of community and family...a sense of reliance on others that in turn benefits all. They are becoming more compassionate and caring as they grow and mature.
Our family is back together again. This time it feels a bit different. We are all a little bit older, all a little bit wiser, all a little bit more fragile.
