So the Summer of 2000 is nearly over. As we watched our local End of Summer
Fireworks display, I became teary-eyed and emotional. This was one of the best
Summer's ever! Responsibilities flourished for my 9 and 7 yr old daughters. They blossomed into Mommies-to-Be begging to help with their toddler brother and sister. From bathing, to dressing, to interacting in pooltime fun, they really enjoyed their siblings...which brought great joy to my heart.
The most recognized achievements of the Summer included Jeffrey (20mos old) climbing in/out of the car and hopping into the carseat himself! His 34mo old sister became extremely verbal..wanting to chatter in the car as we had fun excursions to the zoo, park, eating lunch at McDonalds or just going out for a ride! My older daughters became avid bikeriders mastering their ability to cross the "main road".
Jeffrey and his 34mo old sister engaged in a secret language that only they can decipher .. lots of giggles and grins between them! Summer's End finds them quietly playing together for many uninterupted minutes and fighting for potty time with limited success.
In a display of softly-knit brilliant colors, as each firework exploded in the darkened sky, reflections of shooting stars lit up the night. I could not help but shed a tear as each twinkle disappeared into the crescent-shaped moonlit night.
You see, Jeffrey's reflux had been so consuming for the first 18.5 months of his life, our family had no sense of normalcy .. no planning ahead to go out to see fireworks, out for lunch, a ride to the park .. I was tired from lack of sleep, emotions high strung, depressed at times. I was muscularly sore from lifting two toddlers. The house was a wreck. Jeffrey screamed all day and night in pain some days. He wasn't happy.
This Summer, all that changed. My son has emerged into a beautiful, wonderfully-happy toddler. We still have ups/downs, but we have hope this will end one day. For now his reflux is tolerable and seems well-managed by diet and decreased medications.
As I watched the fireworks in the dark Summer sky, I saw hope in each twinkling star, each glimpse of the beautiful display represented yet another chapter of my life not only for myself, but for each of my children and husband alike.
Yes, when you wish upon a shooting star your wish may come true friend. I was blessed to have witnessed many, many shooting stars at the fireworks last week .. this must be witness for a lifetime to come ... a glimpse of tomorrow .. the hope we hold onto.