I cannot wait to attend this year's CCA Retreat for the first time! The top of the agenda list includes meeting some families whom we share similar experiences, emotions, feelings, and fears, and finally be able to exchange stories and connect with people who "live in our medical world" of surgeries, therapies, and more surgeries.
What I hope to take away from the retreat:
For Logan - To be able to finally see, in person, that there are other kids just like him, who have had to endure and overcome lots of pain and difficulties adapting in many everyday life skills. (Triumphantly, I might add) I also hope that he connects with other children, even as shy as he is, and exchange phone numbers or emails to stay in touch and have someone to connect with and talk about things that other kids might not understand. I want him to realize, that he is not alone. He is not the only one.
For Landon - To be able to finally see, in person, that there are other kids who have siblings with the same or similar challenges. I hope that he too, connects with other siblings of craniofacial kiddos, because these siblings, oh these sweet kids, have witnessed more physical and emotional suffering on their brother/sister, and quite frankly, the whole family, than any kid should have to. Yes, they are the strong ones, they are the servants at heart, but they too need a sense of connection and belonging. For my Landon, underneath it all, I sense and feel his sensitivity when it comes to his brother. I hope that he is able to see the good in it all, and make new friends, and converse freely about his and their experiences.
For Steve - Where do I even begin? There are so many things that I hope Steve can take away from this trip, but if I have to narrow it down, it would be to finally let go....let go of any harboring emotions that he might have kept inside over the years. (being a quiet man, he tends to hide his emotions sometimes, but a lot of men do, don't they?) I also hope that he gets to meet some dads who have also had to jump all these hurdles and be the rock, the provider, the leader and just keep going. Feeling a sense of peace would be the ultimate!
For Myself - Most importantly, if the preceding three happen, then I will be one happy momma! But, with that being said, I anticipate hearing other families stories and their journeys that they live to tell. Innately, I love to learn about people and their lives, but oh, to actually get to hear stories that I can relate to on many levels, is the icing on the cake. I look forward to meeting parents and their children, especially all the people I have already connected with via Facebook. My journey of connecting has already begun with our fabulous social media, but having the face-to-face will be a wonder of its own.
Until next blog,
God bless,
Lisa Brown
