BALENTINE MEMOIRS

Simon is constantly teaching us lessons.  What recent lesson sticks out the most? Adam's answer: Trying to nail this down to one lesson is really hard.  I have my eyes opened to new realities every day.   Simon’s life is such a precious gift and I'm overjoyed to be his dad.  But his unknown future causes suffering and pain.  What comes to mind right now is the lesson to embrace the emotion of the moment. Most men have a natural desire to fight, fix or run in the face of an impending threat or preeminent pain.  I can’t fix or fight Simon’s diagnosis, so what I’m left with is a decision between facing/embracing the pain, or completely avoiding it.  I’ve certainly responded both ways over the course of the last couple of months since we’ve been on this journey.  I know what the right course of action is though, because the Spirit pulls me that way.  The right thing to do is be present, face it, and work through the emotion and sorrow ...

Simon is constantly teaching us lessons.  What recent lesson sticks out the most? Amy's response: Anyone who knows me knows that I love a well-executed plan.  I love planning.  I enjoy list-making.  I get a sense of accomplishment when I cross out something on my to do list. Sometimes I write tasks down on my to-do list that I’ve already completed just to cross them out! I chose a profession (event planning) that was all about planning!   I have even mapped out my life in my head of how exactly it was going to go – and I can assure you, losing a child before, at or soon after birth was not part of my plan.  Simon, Simon’s life, and God are all teaching and confirming to me that our plans are not our own.    Not knowing what is to come can make me feel pretty anxious at times.   Some days I can release this anxiety to God through prayer or worship through song, but other days I hold tight to the uncertainty of the future and feel ...