What's in a name?

Let's talk about why I named this blog Moment ~by~ Moment.

Moments can change everything. Our lives, in fact, our millions of moments strung together. We all know this, but we don't have full knowledge of this until one of those moments changes everything.I've had plenty of changing moments. Some good. Some bad. Some that were literally like running smack into a brick wall that popped out of nowhere.

Fourteen years ago, at the tender age of 19, I got married. I was a single young woman, and in one moment I became a wife. Lord, I had NO IDEA what I was in for! Moments...

Ten years ago, in a moment at 10:59 p.m., I became a mother. My daughter, Sunshine was born. Two years later my son, Tenderheart, was born. Two more years later, my next son, Peanut, was born. Moments...moments...moments...

Sunshine's hands were always cold. They were always blue. Her skin was shinny, and her joints a little swollen. The dr. said we needed to keep an eye on her. Moments...

Tenderheart developed asthma, and Peanut has horrible food allergies. I had to learn how to be a nurse, and cook in a completely different way. Moments....

Then the big life changing moment came. Sunshine was 7, and her dr. called. It's NEVER good when the dr. calls. We went to his office, and he asked the nurse to take Sunshine to another room -not good- he starts talking.....Sunshine's latest bloodwork showed it's official.....she has an auto immune disease called Scleroderma. Moments...
What? What did he say? Is he speaking english? Suddenly I was floating above the room. I watched the scene unfold below me, and tried to understand the Dr. What’s going on? None of this is making sense. Then I remember my husband is with me. Where is he? Oh, there he is. He’s talking now. He’s asking a question. What’s he saying? I can’t understand him either! Why can’t I understand my husband? I look at him and realize it’s because he’s crying. He’s crying. My husband is crying. –not good- Wait a minute I hear English. Husband is asking a question. He’s saying words like – how…long….have…..the dr. answers, and I’m back in my body. Every word he says is sinking in…..”We have no way of knowing for sure. Could be early teens. I will do everything in my power to give your daughter as long a life as possible.” Moments…

That was three years ago. That was the beginning of my journey to realizing that the building blocks of life are moments...
Sunshine’s strength amazes me. I remember the night she asked me if she was going to die. She didn’t even cry. Moments…
In her 4th grade class last year they had an exercise in acceptance. The students were to anonymously write down one characteristic about themselves that their fellow students didn’t know. The teacher told me that Sunshine’s card read: I have a disease. Moments….

She always smiles. She always laughs. Last summer we went to see a world renowned specialist on her disease. Sunshine got to take her first airplane ride! That was a moment! The dr. gave us great news! She is in the limited category of her disease. He said she could stop most of her medications. Then Husband asked the dr. to step outside the room. I knew what he was doing. He was asking the big question. My heart was pounding. Pounding. I inhaled deeply, and held my breath. Sunshine and I sat silently in the room staring at each other. She was trying to absorb this new information. I was trying desperately to hear what was going on just outside the room. The door opened and I searched Husband’s face. He was smiling. I exhaled. Moments…..

The dr. answered Husband’s question like this….” Your daughter should live to be an old woman. She can have children if she chooses. And, maybe, when she’s 72 she might have a little more trouble than most getting over pneumonia.” Whoo hoo!!!!! Moments.....

Today Sunshine is a healthy happy 10 ½ year old. Tenderheart hasn’t had an asthma attack in a year, and Peanut is little (hence the name), but very feisty!
The moments continue to click by, and I continue to take them in, savor them, survive them, grow from them, and change from them, every single day.
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Now. Whew! That was a lot! Let me just tell you really quickly about a moment I had last night……
The kids ate supper, and ran back outside to enjoy the weather. I was starting on the dishes when Husband came inside for a second. On his way back out the door he said “Man, did you see this floor? The kids really made a mess on the floor in here! It needs swept really bad.”
Oh, gee thanks. Add that to my list. I went back to the dishes. A few minutes later a noise behind me startled me out of deep thoughts. I turned around to see Peanut emptying the dust pan in the garbage. “What are you doing?” “I swept the floor.” “You did?! Did daddy tell you to do that?” “No.”
I have no words. I looked at him for a minute ….
then I high fived him, and said “Well, ROCK ON LITTLE MAN!” To which he responded in giggles. He gave me a quick grab the legs hug, and ran outside.
Moments…..
Those are the moments I LOOOOVE, and hope I never forget.
Much love,
W3