Posts by writingjoy
Are You Up for a Challenge? How about Five of Them?
The objections are as ugly as they are predictable. “Jesus said we will always have the poor with us. If He says we can’t actually eliminate poverty, why bother trying?” “If they are poor, they must be lazy. They made their bed, now they can lie in it.” “Why help foreigners when our own people…
Read More“Mom! Where’s My Shoe?” and Other Monday Crises ~ The Parent ‘Hood
It’s Monday, which means we had a crummy night, of course. In true Monday fashion, I was up with two of the three kids at various points in the night, soothing pounding headaches and comforting after nightmares. I am up early because, despite my desperate desire to crawl back into bed, this is the best…
Read MoreAn Ending, but Not the End
This is the final installment of my mini-series “Welcome to Motherhood.” Miss the beginning? Start here. Every 1-2 hours, Betsy visited our group to give us an update. Each time I spotted her smile beaming out from under her surgical garb, I drew a little courage. Her first words were usually, “Elli is doing well,” then…
Read MoreSaying Goodbye
This is part ten of my mini-series “Welcome to Motherhood.” Miss the beginning? Start here. Elli made it to the day of surgery. She was the second case of the day, so they told us to expect them to take her to the O.R. sometime after noon. Our family and friends all gathered at the hospital,…
Read MoreWhen the Chances of Survival Are Slim Or None
This is part nine of my mini-series “Welcome to Motherhood.” Miss the beginning? Start here. “Hi Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, I’m Dr. Pearl,” he said, holding out his hand. We shook it, then waited for him to begin. “Your daughter proved herself to be quite a fighter. We think if she remains stable for a…
Read MoreHurry Up and Wait
This is part eight of my mini-series “Welcome to Motherhood.” Miss the beginning? Start here. While we all waited to see if Elli’s body would recover sufficiently from the lack of oxygen, her doctors donned detective hats, looking for a reason for her heart defects and the best way to proceed. Geneticists interviewed us and took…
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