Samuels' Miracle

Written by Tersea from Samuel's Miracle

I’ve really enjoyed being November’s guest poster each Friday and appreciate Tammy giving me the opportunity to do so. I hope I was able to give you a small glimpse into our world since Samuel’s near drowning 3 years ago.

I just want to leave you today with a few thoughts. One of the biggest things I have learned from our experiences with Samuel is that although many of us do our very best to empathize with those around us, no one can really and truly understand another person’s situation unless they, themselves, have lived through it. I know what it’s like to have a near drown child. But I have no idea what it would be like to have a child with a different disability or even what it would be like to have a child with a trach or other (more intense) needs than my son’s. And I have no idea what it would be like to loose a child. I don’t think I ever understood that before. And I think it made me much more judgmental of others. There is simply no way I can look at another’s life and make any sort of judgment call about it. I simply cannot know all that goes on behind the scenes or even in their hearts. And I have grown to appreciate that fact.

However, I have also found that there ARE many out there who are in very similar situations as mine. And I am so grateful for them in my life. That is one of the things that is so wonderful about 5 Minutes for Special Needs. It is a place for parents who are similar to gather and share their experiences with each other do their best to empathize with each other.

Here are a few of the very best resources I have found in my journey with Samuel. These resources are filled with parents who also have near drown children and they have been a lifeline to me:

Yahoo Chat Group – parentsofneardrowns

www.hugsfoundation.org

www.hugs4ndc.com

I also have a list of resources on Samuel’s website that I have found very helpful:

http://samuelsmiracle.com/resources/

This journey is one that we have just begun and who knows where it will lead us. It has been a difficult journey and I know that it will continue to always feel overwhelming. But I hope that no matter what, I can always have it in me to find the good in any way I can and to bring benefit from the trials we have been called to endure. And I hope that I will always have good friends and family along the way to support us.

Thanks for sharing your time with us. I hope maybe I have given you a glimpse of our little Samuel. He is certainly a light in our life (even if he’s a little pest at times)!

Teresa
www.samuelsmiracle.com