As the end of the year approaches, I feel inclined to reflect and share. This year was filled with highs and lows. Here are some stand outs.
We kicked off the new year with Gage’s Make-A-Wish trip to Colorado. What an incredible experience! You can read more about it here. Caleb played his first season of basketball and loved it. Evan and I got away for a friend’s 40th in Hot Springs—my first time at the horse races! Winter illness took a toll, as it often does.
Spring brought with it some brutal challenges for Gage in terms of seizures, but also his first season of Miracle League baseball, which was great. We transitioned to summer t-ball for Caleb. Like every summer, we swam or enjoyed the water as much as possible. Evan’s 40th birthday was even celebrated at our favorite backyard pool! We enjoyed tubing, fishing, and boat rides at Pomme and Fellows. Late summer was a week of fun at Camp Barnabas for Gage and with family for Caleb, while Evan and I got away on our own. We cherished all the freedom that came with summer and thanked God for improvements in Gage’s health. We also endured heartache, and grief reared its ugly head in the form of anger at times.
With fall came the return to school, and, unfortunately, ongoing bouts of illness. Big struggles with seizures also returned. I honestly struggle to pick out the good parts of this season, but I’ve welcomed frequent reminders that we’re not alone. Friends and family swooped in to do really practical, but immensely helpful things, and those acts help soothe my bruised soul. Perhaps I’m just not far enough removed yet to pick out my favorite things about this time. The remarkable moments are still raw and feel more like trauma than triumph.
As I write this on the shortest day of the year, I’ll borrow my mom’s optimistic perspective. She loves moving past December 21, because each day after is longer—filled with more light. What a wonderful thing to be able to count on. As we move forward, I’m trusting in better days ahead.
No matter what kind of season you’re experiencing, I hope you too feel loved and seen and can cling with me to the hope that the best is yet to come.
Merry Christmas from the Wingos
