With the new years comes new resolutions, right?  Well, in order to have resolutions, most people reflect back on the prior year.  These past couple of weeks have been really tough for me.  I have realized some things about our past year and I honestly no longer look to far into the future.  For now I will live in the present.

Look at the look of pure joy from something as simple as sledding!!  I have been struggling with worrying about tomorrow but when I look at this picture, I would rather focus on this.  But it is hard!  And I can’t always shut my mind down.

I constantly talk about our new normal.  Changes that we have had to make are just part of our new normal.  I don’t want to lose our old normal completely though.  I think part of the reason that I have been struggling these last couple of weeks is that I can feel some of the things we used to enjoy slipping away.

Our activities have changed and our interactions with people have changed.  This is just something I’ve noticed since we’ve received our diagnosis.  It puts us in a different place in our lives than most others around us.  Friendships that we had been developing now have taken a back seat to scheduling therapy and doctor appointments and research.  Oh the research!!

But as much as it is our faults for trying to find the new balance for our lives, I’ve also noticed that people are hesitant around us.  I know people are trying to be respectful, but what someone that is not in our situation doesn’t realize is that we NEED that sense of normalcy.  We need to be able to hang out and relax with our friends.  It may be a little harder to accomplish but we need it down deep in our bones.

Cade’s friends have been amazing at including him.  He has had quite a few play dates and is constantly asking me about more.  We love how much they have embraced him and his new normal.  Kids really are amazing and extremely adaptable.

This is Halsey and she is one of Cade’s very best friends.  I love the looks on their faces.  They had a great time that day.

I have noticed though that Brent and I don’t get asked to hang out with other couples like we used to.  Everything that we had prayed for in friendships is now hanging on by a thread.  On the outside everything seems quite normal and we still seem busy, but while we need to develop friendships within the MD world, the friendships outside the MD world are more important than ever.

Brent did take the boys to a basketball game the other day while I went to a direct sales party.  Those were activities that we used to do.  We need to work harder on being intentional with continuing the activities we used to like.

So I decided to have just one New Year’s Resoultion.  My resolution is to live in the present and try not to worry so much about the future.  Wish me luck with that!!

Blessings.  Lynnette