Chanukah with a Petrie cast

Chanukah is now winding down, and it seems to me that now chanukah and casts will be intertwined for awhile

 

 

 It was probably good and bad that Chanukah started just as we were coming home from the hospital. More good than bad.

 

Good because it was an incredible distraction. The whole week was wild. There was potato latkes, and sufganiyot and Chanukah cookies everywhere. And the presents, oh the presents. It was amazing.

 

It was good because all of the kids got presents, and not just Nochy. Whereas any other time during the year the sibling jealousy factor would have gone through the roof.

It was also good because he didn't miss much in school last week. They partied last week and didn't cover much material.

 

It was also hard though. Thursday and Friday all of my kids were home including the baby and that was a lot for me all day everyday as we were adjusting to this new kind of life.

I had to make plans for everyone and make snacks and lunches for everyone at all different times. The house was a royal mess and no amount of cleaning could keep up with it because everyone was just home at all times.

 

Having Nochy in a cast is like having another baby, and this baby is large and I'm unable to pick him up. I have to dress him, bring him food, and bring to the bathroom. Anytime he needs to switch positions he calls out for me to come. I'm not complaining, just stating the reason why I end every day exhausted.

 

But then theres the scenes above. Watching my son light the menorah from a wheelchair in the beginning and then from there to crutches.

 

And I realize what really matters. How lucky we are to be here, to have each other, and to witness all of the miracles of daily living.

 

This was hammered home even more so when I went to the Chair Lifeline Chanukah Party on Sunday. I walked in to an auditorium filled with people that have challenges in their lives.

 

I knew a lot of people in that room, but I didn't know that a lot of people struggle with an illness of some sort. It humbled me to the core to think that so many people that I interact with on a daily basis have deep hardships that I know nothing about.

 

Miracles are not about the big things. Money magically appearing or a person who was told they would never walk again suddenly being able to dance. Those are miracles- but few and far between unfortunately. Miracles are what people are able to accomplish on a daily basis through their pain. Miracles are being able to take your sick kid home from the hospital right on time. Miracles are being able to smile while your loved one sits through chemo. Miracles are being able to come together as a family or a community even though the burden there is bear is so heavy.

 

I am humbled by everything that people have done for us in the past few weeks. Our friends, our family, our community, everyone is just amazing.

 

I am so blessed to be able to light the Chanukah lights with my family, no matter what challenges we're facing at the time, big or small, physically or otherwise.....

 

Gratitude, just like happiness is an active choice that you must choose to make again and again and again.....

 

Nochy lives that every day, he has shown me that, I just hope I can live up to his example.