We are a HUGE football family. We lived for the day that Jake would take the football field and follow in Buppa and Uncle's footsteps. Naturally, we just assumed that Sean would follow as well.
This time last year, I was a nervous wreck, but was calmed and reassured by so many family, friends, and WILDCAT family that bleeds blue, just like us. Sean was going to have what would be the first of two major brain surgeries in two months time. He certainly wouldn't be tying up his cleats each night with Jake. Instead, he would watch his big brother from the sidelines every Sunday with a 6 inch scar on the back of his head. A constant reminder of what was.
This year practice started about two weeks ago. Sean had clearance to play, but made the decision not to play. It just wasn't his thing and he didn't want to do it. No big deal. Would save me from having to have 3 kids on 3 different teams. Phew.
Thursday night that all changed. He was begging me to play. Part of me was thrilled, the other part of me was enjoying the thought of having one night during the week of not having anything to do at all. Family dinners at the table every Thursday night. Sean felt left out.
So, last night, Sean sat on the stairs lacing up his cleats just like his big brother, just like his uncle, just like his Buppa.
Not even 12 months later, my baby, the one I put in a NeuroSurgeons hands TWICE. The baby who had one piece of his skull removed during the first surgery and had another piece of synthetic material placed in his brain during his second surgery......was PLAYING FOOTBALL! I have visions of my boys playing together for years to come. People are going to whisper "That's those Kaiser boys....watch out, they are THAT good." Most will never know what one of those boys went through physically nor what the other went through emotionally...watching his little brother being wheeled to the operating room twice, not knowing if he would ever come out the same way.
Enjoy life. Live Life. Love Each Other. Be Thankful.
Matthew 17:20
And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
So happy for all of you, especially Sean. Go Team Kaiser!
ReplyDeleteShannon, I am an instructor at Cal State University Long Beach in California. The class I teach is Family Stress and Coping, and when I teach the section on illness, I read to my students from your blog. The post I use is the one that was published on the Children's Hospital Boston website on October 25, 2010 that they titled "Coping with the stress of a childhood illness". Your honesty is exactly what these young adults need. Just thought you should know that your challenges are an example to students on the other side of the country. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteChristine Brown