Peter - Carepage - May 11th, 2008 (Mother's Day)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! I just wanted to wish all the women out there a wonderful Mother's day - we are all mother's in some way shape or form and have come to this loving gift in so many different ways - and for some it is even without children within the four walls of their homes. Thank you to all who have "mothered" me when I needed it over the last year....but of course the biggest thank you goes to my mother who brought me into this world, loved me, hugged me, kissed me and never stopped loving me despite all the ups and downs of life - including no doubt the terrible two's, the questioning tween years, the moody teenage years, the dramatic schooling years and now my own mothering years. And how can I not thank my mother-in-law....if not for her I wouldn't have the amazing husband I have today. She too has loved me and supported me and when needed come to Colorado to act as my mom away from home knowing how far my mother is and how hard it is for my mother not being around the corner, and how comforting it is to know that even though she is not here someone special has been here to give me a hug when I most need it. This time last year I sat in a room at Penrose St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs thinking we were days away from bringing Peter home....it was actually 31 more days before Peter would come home. I remember thinking last year that by this Mother's Day it would all be in the distant past and life would be going on....I guess in some ways I was right - Peter is home, life goes on, but unfortunately the illness the attacks Peter's little body isn't in the past. Who knows where we will be this time next year - how will Peter be doing - maybe even walking? Alexandra will be wrapping up 8th grade and what will that bring? Michael will be ending 5th grade on the verge of middle school and what joys will that bring? Jack will be wrapping up kindergarten and maybe loosing his baby teeth? Tommy will be close to school age - will I maybe win the lotto and get to home school him? (Shucks....keep forgetting I need to buy a ticket to win!) And of course that brings us back to Peter....will a miracle put this illness into the past, or will it not? So many questions only time will answer but I do know one thing....I've got 52 weeks to pray, live, laugh, love and yes sometimes cry. I have 52 weeks - each giving me 7 days with which I can chose how to live my life despite the circumstances around us. And I hope that this time next year I can look back and say I learned from my wrong choices and rejoiced in my good ones, but never stopped loving the opportunity to be mother to five wonderful kids!! And now my favorite prayer: God, grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I can not change, COURAGE to change the things I can, and WISDOM to know the difference. May the Lord bless us all with serenity, courage, wisdom, faith and love on this Mother's Day!! Love, catherine