two arms and two legs
Taylor sent me a video today about a little girl who lost her leg and the doctors who made her a new one. Just 2 years old, her world completely altered. She was able to walk for the first time in her life with a tiny prosthetic limb, an artificial body part, a piece of science + medicine that gave back something life took away from her. And it got me thinking - here with my two hands that hold my phone while I type, my two legs that carry me around the house to do the laundry and the dishes that I complain about and the two arms that so easily lift. rock. carry. and hold my baby. My baby, who also - has two legs and two arms and two hands and two feet. Little legs that twirl her around our living room and jump on the bed and dance on the couch and pitter patter down the hall. The arms that hug around my neck so tight before bed, little fingers that make big messes feeding herself and hands that sometimes get her into trouble. I sit here and look at my afternoons, spent mostly here in this space, playing with this little girl and I am udderly and truly baffled at how lucky , blessed, and fortunate I am to do this. To be ABLE to do this- here, healthy and whole | raising a healthy [and whole] growing little human. All the while her daddy is working hard at the medical school, long hours away from home, late nights reviewing practicals and watching videos and never violating hippa rules telling stories of his incredible patients. Weekends spent in the library instead of at the park and sometimes mornings that start so early we miss him. The same mornings that turn into nights that end so late we miss him again. We've got flashcards and sticky notes and colored pencils galore everywhere we look and those books that make my shelves look messy - yes those are for him as he learns + studies + practices to one day make new limbs for people without. I write a lot about my husband - this I know. But I will never stop. I'm just so damn proud of him and his heart. His motivation. It took a lot to quit a good paying job and set us off into this venture. I cannot take credit for this complicated decision. We left our family in Montana, sold our house and almost everything we owned. Downsized immensely and trusted blindly that our future was brightest following this path. We gave up a lot to come here - to this kind of scary and kind of foreign place so that he can follow his dreams to do this. I know it's in his blood and his heart to help people | change people | make people better | and it's those things I remind myself of when I wish he could be home with us more.
In only a few months we have met some of the truly nicest, sweetest, most fun and endearing people here that I already know will be lifelong friends. Seattle has welcomed us with open arms and made us at home. This time period now, it is an adjustment. A big one but a good one. An adjustment that like we continue to believe - will lead us to a bright and rewarding future. And for that - for him choosing this scary and slightly crazy path for us - I am so grateful. I am also grateful that when I take a second to step back from this social media revolving world- this constant need to please and shine and show-strangers-what-we-have type of society we are surrounded in we can see what actually matters. And I can tell you that it is not what your home looks like, or what color your kitchen is. It's not how pretty your instagram is...[Yes that's a thing] No it's not about your Pinterest perfect couch pillows and valentine crafts or your car or your clothes or vacations or or or or... No it's none of those things. And without the distractions of the above - it might be easier for us to see whats really important.
Be thankful - remind yourself that you are amazing and lucky and smart and healthy and those trivial things - those minuscule and petty things we wrap ourselves up in caring about - They aren't what matter.
When I say that I remind myself daily to be thankful for what we have it is not a cliche, not just a cute little instagram caption or something fun and sweet to write // but actually the truth. that I do - in fact. Everyday. Remind myself of what we have to be thankful for.
Because usually, it starts with the littlest things. Like two arms and two legs.
