Guest blogger Rebekah Benimoff is meeting herself coming and going these days. In the midst of all the busyness, she’s discovered two words that make life a little easier. Read on to discover what they are.
Thank You: Two Powerful Words
It’s officially fall, but some days still seems like summer. We have survived the first weeks of school, and life is becoming calmer now that most of the paperwork is in place. I say most because Tyler’s diabetes care plan changes weekly, but things are more settled than they were a month ago.
Having two kids with special issues means that at times, I run like a slightly crazed chicken from one thing to the next. Meetings, groceries, special diet needs. Phone calls from the nurse, visits to the nurse’s office. Daily. Hourly, even.
Off to Sprouts for gluten free school friendly snacks. Back to the nurse’s office. Log a teeny bit of time at work (I work from home), and then back to the nurse’s office. Stop in the hall to chat with the school counselor. Go into her office for an hour to plan for 504 meetings and ARDs. Have I mentioned the school nurse? The first month of school is always a whirlwind for me, despite the realization this year that all does not need to be perfect the first day (or in the first weeks). A little bit of perspective in the madness. This week I have had time to just breathe.
Today I took a much needed walked through the nearby neighborhoods, enjoying the cool autumn-like breeze blowing through the tree lined streets. It is so pretty here. Tall trees stretch to the clear mid-morning sky, some higher than the two story homes. I love the trees that have flowers of white and pink blooms, and my favorite are the hot pink blossoms that I can see a block away. I savor the mornings when I can get OUTSIDE and draw near to the Lord through His creation… I get swept up in His beautiful works, even here in suburbia.
I was able to log some hours at work today, uninterrupted for the first time in months. I work for a non-profit organization that helps wounded warriors in a myriad of life saving, and family saving ways. I work with the partner appreciation program and a great perk of my job (besides being able to work from home and be available for my kids, and the school nurse you keep hearing about) is that I get to call and thank people who have selflessly given to the organization. Then I get to tell them how this very same organization helped our family after my husband had to get out of the Army because of a brain injury most commonly known as PTSD. It occasionally tricky to convince the donors I am not calling to ask for MORE money. Then there are the days like today, when more than one caller was so touched she was brought to tears of … gratefulness… because I simply said Thank You. Two simple little words that we often do not hear much of. Particularly those of us with the distinctive role of caregiver.
This gets me to thinking, how often do I say thank you? To my mom who helps me out tremendously with my boys, and loves taking them home with her for the weekend so I can catch my breath. To my husband, who, no matter how rough of a day he is having, takes care of the trash, and numerous other jobs that require the heavy lifting I can’t do. To the school personnel who take care of my children, and, especially, to God who has given me so much that when I stop and ponder, the magnitude takes my breath away.
This morning I took a moment to say thank you to my husband, for all the things he does to take care of our family. He was encouraged… it really meant a lot to him, and we are closer for it. It’s easy to get caught up in a hectic schedule but if we can step out of the vortex long enough to say thank you, well, today I learned that two little words go a long, long way.
What Powerful Words Have You Discovered?
Now you know the words that make Rebekah’s life easier. Maybe you’ve discovered some words that make life easier for you. If so, share them in the comment box. As parents of kids with special needs, we need all the power we can get!
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