Friday, March 19, 2010

Patience Redefined

What’s it like? Let me attempt to tell you:


It’s like watching paint dry. 


Inaccurate. 




It’s like watching water boil. 


Wrong.




It’s like growing your hair out after you hacked it off. 


Incorrect.




It’s a snail's pace. 


Not so.




It’s like watching grass grow.


No. 




Truth be told-


Paint is completely dry within about 6 hours.


In a pot, water boils in about 11 minutes and in the microwave, in about 3 minutes.


Hair grows back at a rate of about a half-inch per month.


A snail may be slow, but it is crawling and it does get to its destination


Grass grows pretty damn fast, especially in spring and fall. Just ask the person who has to cut it every week. I bet they would beg to differ with that saying!


Dave and I are of the same mindset, if you want a true dose of patience: 


Try to watch your brain-injured child attempt some sort of recovery.


There you have it. The bona fide saying that should be thrown around in relation to patience.  




All other sayings were coined with the impatient person still in mind! 


Happy Friday All, 


Jen 
aka recovering highly impatient person 


P.S. Can you tell I finished adding all the spacing back into my blog. Truth of the matter~ in re-reading the blog, something was glaringly obvious~ there has been barely any physical changes since September or so. The facts are the facts! 


Sorry to be such a bummer on this beautiful Friday afternoon!


Oh by the way, if there is anyone out there who might be able to help me with Blogger, I would truly appreciate it. I don't know what is going on, but my spacing is way off, everything is wrong and it takes ages to get anything to look semi-decent. Something is broken and it is driving me bonkers!!!!

11 comments:

  1. Aww sweetheart. There have been changes, though from close-up it may not seem like it. In the end, even the little things add up to make a difference.

    Since September, her skin has gotten that healthy glow back.

    Since September, she's gotten taller - and it looks by a good amount.

    Since September, she's lost some of the spasticity. She clamped down on my fingers with her little hands this Summer, and at Christmas it was a gentle grasp.

    Since September, she's gained strength. That 'newborn' neck that needed to be supported is better able to hold up her head.

    Since September, she's lost some of the Nutren Jr. baby fat, and she LOOKS like Aviana again. Her body has gotten over the major trauma, and with the healthy food, she's able to grow.

    I know that it doesn't seem like much at all when you just want your little girl back. It's the little things though that keep you going when the going gets tough.

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  2. Jill said it all for me.

    As for your blogger problem it's a cursor problem when you hit the enter key the blinking line doesn't go to the next line but it actually has just the blinking line doesn't move. I see this every now and then at work it drives everyone nuts.

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  3. Jen- you should never apologize for being down! You are certainly entitled! I don't know about how Aviana was before since I only just started reading your blog a few months ago but like Jillian said when you're up close all the time you may not notice those little things that others around you can see can see from a distance. I wish I had more encouraging words for you now but know that we are all here to support you and be there to read about your journey whether it's a down day or not. I do know one thing.... Aviana is a gorgeous, beautiful girl that fills your heart up and then some. Sending you lots of hugs and "good vibes" so that your Saturday may be "sunnier".
    As far as the blogger thing.... I only just figured out how to sign my posts with a name and not anonymously so I am not venturing into the BLOG thing on my own for a while- for now I am just a blog reader. I know that I look forward to checkin in on you and your sweet girl everday.

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  4. You have more patience than 10 people together... being in the thick of the moment all day long... I cannot imagine... but, progress is happening!
    Hoping that this weekend brings something wonderful for all of you!

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  5. I would agree with the first comment...just the food conversion alone is a big victory and then fact that she can keep it down without problems. Such a great victory!

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  6. Oh Jen, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say. I canNOT imagine what you are going through. can.not.ever.imagine. I don't know how you do it, although I know what you will say, "you just do."

    And I'm a teensy bit relieved that I'm not the only one who has down days. Trina called them "negative nelly's". We got that phrase from our grandma.

    Have you seen "Home For The Holidays"? It's one of my fave movies and I only watch it once a year, the night before Thanksgiving. There's a phrase in there that Claire Danes tells her mom (Holly Hunter). "Just float. Remember the angel fish when we went snorkling? Just float, like the fish." I think it's almost fitting with your previous fish references. I tell myself that sometimes, "just float" when I feel like sinking like a rock. Maybe one day we'll both be floating.... in Cabo.... together. I know it seems impossible and maybe it is, but sometimes I think of it and it gets me through that minute.

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  7. Jen - I have read your astounding blog since the beginning. I think of you all often, with much love.

    My other half is very interested in music therapy. (He is a psychiatric nurse.) He has been taking evening classes at a college here in London, and this week brought home some literature about the effects of music therapy on brain damaged children. It was profoundly moving stuff, and I immediately thought of Avi.

    It made me wonder if this is an avenue you have considered pursuing with the lovely A?

    I hope it's not inappropriate for me to make this comment. I only wish the very best for you and your family, dear Jen ♥

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  8. sb~

    Thank you so much for the information and if you could elaborate, I would love to hear more. My uncle has talked to us about this, but we have not had the time to put anything in place.

    I hope you are getting this message, as with Blogger it is so hard to get back to comments.

    Please know that I feel help is NEVER inappropriate. I need all of the help and information possible :o)

    Thank you so much for thinking of us and for providing ideas!

    Jen

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  9. Hi Jen. I've been absent for a while because my vocabulary has fallen short. Reading Cameo's blog and yours make me realize that our language is frail when it comes to the expression of empathy and encouragement. I just want to reach out with a hug and a smile and a cuppa coffee in a sunny spring afternoon, and I'd like to hold Avi and talk to her about bunnies and ducks and kittens. I loved Jillian's comment, above, and hope that it brought you really good feelings and best of all - renewed hope. If I were your neighbour, I'd be lining up to offer help in your daily course of therapies. But I'm not, so I can only send my cyberhugs to all of you!

    Sandy

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  10. Jen, I have seen music therapy do wonders for children with severe autism and other disabilities. It should be available free through your public school system; have you checked into all that they could offer you? It might take some time to get everything in place, and I know how busy you are with all of your Institute therapies, but maybe a friend of yours in your area could check on it for you. It is doing wonders for several children I know in the Memphis area.

    I am not anonymous; I am Vicki, Grammy to 2 precious Guat. granddaughter and follow your blog daily. Just have no idea how to get the anon. off.

    You are an amazing mother; I pray for you and Avi daily. Vicki from the Memphis area

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  11. Hi Jen-

    Thanks for your comment on my blog. It is strange standing on this side of the fence looking at you. I know our situations are so different yet the grief of a future life is the same. My prayers to you.

    I wish I could leave you my email but with an online forum, I am not sure how to do it it "safely". But I used to be a member of AOL. The first word of my blogspot url was my member name.

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