In the midst of craziness

While my life just feels like my life, I am constantly reminded that others don't view it as "normal."

In the past couple of weeks, I've had not one, not two, but three friends who know me well explain the exact same thing to me. I start complaining about not being able to find a job. Each one of them - at different times and settings - said, "Elise, you have had a horrible two years. So much loss! God just wants you to rest."

I'm slow. It took three times. Ok, I promise: I'm trying to rest. Relax. Read. Pray. And not get TOO hung up on the job hunting.

We had a family get-together a few weeks ago for a nephew's 40th birthday. Lotsa fun, food and little kids running around on a perfect summer day. One of my nieces, whom I don't get to see very often, asked where my hubby was. He had a soccer tournament that day. She asked how he was. I told him that he was busy - being an engineer by day and soccer coach at night.

I also told her that he'd been embroiled in this weird situation at work, that had essentially turned him into a detective and eventually a sort of whistleblower. Her response, "Oh my gosh! You and Uncle Ed just seem to have one thing after the other - you can't catch a break!"

I laughed and said, "You know, on the Hilton Scale of Catastrophe, this work situation didn't even register!" We both laughed, and she agreed this was likely the case.

People, over the years, have told Hubby and me how "brave" we are, how "saintly" we are, yada, yada, yada, to have taken on 5 special needs kids. Oh, no. It don't work that way!

When God asked us, we said "yes." That is it. In all the craziness we've dealt with, we just kept saying "yes." And there has been a lot of craziness. Knowing county sheriffs by their first names, endless meetings with schools to figure out the best way to teach a kid, learning the EXACT right words to say in order to get a kid hospitalized on a psych hold.

We are not any braver, holier or more special than any other parents. I am bull-headed and that has helped. But honestly, the only thing we have done that others have not is said, "yes."

Sometimes our voices shook. Often, we wondered if we doing the right thing. We've had our hearts broken a time or two. But we've just held each other's hands and kept right on saying "yes." Even when it made our stomachs hurt.

And yes, we have a Hilton Scale of Catastrophes. Most parents have never found the need for such a scale, but we have. And we still use it occasionally. But in the midst of chaos and craziness, there is always that "yes." It is beacon, a light that leads us to God. So we'll just keep on saying it.

In this crazy beautiful life 
In this crazy beautiful life 
Something's make sense and you don't know why 
It's this crazy beautiful life 
Wherever you are, whatever you do 
Whatever wishes might come true 
Whatever you got, whatever you give 
You make it a beautiful life to live 
It's a crazy beautiful life It's a crazy beautiful life 
Something's make sense and you don't know why 
It's a crazy beautiful life