Never Say "Never"

In May of 2009, my sweet son will graduate from college. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. The odds were always against him.....albeit, he did make some rather dumb choices at times. He was born premature, 2 months. Throughout his toddler years, we would be in the hospital about every three months for a week or so because of lung infections, 3 surgeries for tubes in his ears, and then the worst news of all...............

at age 3 years, 10 mos. and 15 days old, he was diagnosed with a "massive brain tumor in the right hemisphere" of his brain. Those were the neurologist's words...I didn't hear anything he said after that phrase.....surgery lasted 7 and 1/2 hours. Complications arose and her underwent painful spinal taps, migraines, and ultimately another brain surgery. That was followed by eye surgery and then diagnosed with a total hearing loss in the left ear. All before he went to kindergarten. When he boarded the school bus that morning, I cried.....not because he was old enough to GO to kindergarten, but because he was ALIVE to go to kindergarten. Then the real work began...grinding out school ...

Unable to write his name until 1st grade, hearing issues, reading issues...putting out one "fire" after another until............

Then, March 5, 1994. He was accidentally shot with a .22 caliber pistol....shot in the face at point blank range...the bullet hit his mouth, through the back of his throat, and landed in his spinal cord in the neck.

.ICU on a ventilator...didn't know if he'd make it...but by the grace of God....

Slowly he recovered ,with deep physical as well as emotional scars.


one day at at time...

then.............

.the day he graduated from high school finally came. As I was about to take his picture with his graduation gown on, I peered through the camera lens and starred with amazement .....a pause, then he recognized it too....we had MADE IT TO THIS DAY......instead of taking the picture, we hugged and cried together.....no words exchanged, we just knew


Soon,

in May of 2009.........

will be another hurdle crossed....graduation from college.

Thank you Lord for keeping him here with me and being our rock of support throughout the darkest days of my life.

Stephen, I love you very much..... I am VERY PROUD OF YOU.....