I have been wanting to write this post for a week but writing in this blog requires deep thoughts and raw emotions and some days I don't want to go there. I titled this post "Wait for the Wow" for many reasons.
Two weeks ago, I went with the moms of Let Georgia Hear to the capitol!! We got a hearing before the insurance committee to plead our case asking insurance companies in Georgia to cover children's hearing aids. We asked family and friends to come support us and the room was so packed that many had to stand. Kelly and Sara (cofounders of LGH) have been waiting for this wow moment!! They wowed us with their facts and testimonies. A year ago, they started with the question of "why are hearing aids not covered by insurance companies?" and now they are seeing the "wow" as I call it. The "wow" is the moment when you see the bigger picture.
Another "wow" moment that has happened recently is that Amelia has started singing in the car. Last year she was just saying words. Those words gradually turned into sentences and now song!! Her favorite song and the first one she really has sung is "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys. We have recorded her bellowing out this song in the car. A long time ago, or it seems like a long time ago, we stopped asking "why?" Why did this happen to Amelia?, Why did we need to be the "chosen" parent? etc. We are in the "wow" phase of our journey now. Amelia amazes us! If we had not gone down this road then we would not have been a part of this wonderful group of friends. We get to be part of the bigger "wow" which is trying to change Georgia law for our Amelia and all Georgia children.
This leads me into the hardest part of my post. We have met so many wonderful families through the Atlanta Speech School. In an earlier blog post at the beginning of the year, I talked about our first parent meeting of the new year in Hamm. Hamm is the part of the speech school for the deaf and hard of hearing and this is the program Amelia is in. Many parents talked about their children recovering from all types of life threatening illnesses over the summer. Their kids go to Hamm for speech and hearing loss, but many of them have other obstacles and illnesses to tackle. I am constantly reminded that I am lucky to have a healthy child. I sat at lunch the other day with a Hamm mom whose daughter had a brain tumor. In carpool everyday I drive by a little memorial set up for a Hamm student that lost her battle with cancer last year. And to the heart of this post I must say that I have been thinking lately about a little girl that died from cancer in Amelia's toddler program last year, Regan. On facebook recently, many of my friends have been following a story about a little boy named Tripp who is in serious condition from a tree accident. I have not personally been following this child, but when my friends started begging for people to pray when he took a turn for a worse it brought me back to last year. I would get updates through my phone about Regan's status. After a few days I started to cringe every time the notification sound would come across my phone. Every time I would take a deep breath before I opened the email, because she was getting worse with each update. I remember the desperation of praying hard like I have seen from some of my facebook friends with this little boy. Well one day that dreaded update came, Regan passed and I was flooded with "why". Regan's mom had tried for so long to have a child and she lost her only child. Her parents were so religious and strong. It is a strength that I don't think I could possess. I see and hear of these types of sad stories alot now and am starting to see that you will never find relief in the "why" questions. I know that it's easier said than done. We must look and wait for the "wow" moments. Those moments that come years after the tragedy when you start to see some of the blessings that come out of the heartache. We must "wait for the wow."
Scarlett
p.s. pictures from the capitol & valentines day & link to the hearing
I have been wanting to write this post for a week but writing in this blog requires deep thoughts and raw emotions and some days I don't want to go there. I titled this post "Wait for the Wow" for many reasons.
Two weeks ago, I went with the moms of Let Georgia Hear to the capitol!! We got a hearing before the insurance committee to plead our case asking insurance companies in Georgia to cover children's hearing aids. We asked family and friends to come support us and the room was so packed that many had to stand. Kelly and Sara (cofounders of LGH) have been waiting for this wow moment!! They wowed us with their facts and testimonies. A year ago, they started with the question of "why are hearing aids not covered by insurance companies?" and now they are seeing the "wow" as I call it. The "wow" is the moment when you see the bigger picture.
Another "wow" moment that has happened recently is that Amelia has started singing in the car. Last year she was just saying words. Those words gradually turned into sentences and now song!! Her favorite song and the first one she really has sung is "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys. We have recorded her bellowing out this song in the car. A long time ago, or it seems like a long time ago, we stopped asking "why?" Why did this happen to Amelia?, Why did we need to be the "chosen" parent? etc. We are in the "wow" phase of our journey now. Amelia amazes us! If we had not gone down this road then we would not have been a part of this wonderful group of friends. We get to be part of the bigger "wow" which is trying to change Georgia law for our Amelia and all Georgia children.
This leads me into the hardest part of my post. We have met so many wonderful families through the Atlanta Speech School. In an earlier blog post at the beginning of the year, I talked about our first parent meeting of the new year in Hamm. Hamm is the part of the speech school for the deaf and hard of hearing and this is the program Amelia is in. Many parents talked about their children recovering from all types of life threatening illnesses over the summer. Their kids go to Hamm for speech and hearing loss, but many of them have other obstacles and illnesses to tackle. I am constantly reminded that I am lucky to have a healthy child. I sat at lunch the other day with a Hamm mom whose daughter had a brain tumor. In carpool everyday I drive by a little memorial set up for a Hamm student that lost her battle with cancer last year. And to the heart of this post I must say that I have been thinking lately about a little girl that died from cancer in Amelia's toddler program last year, Regan. On facebook recently, many of my friends have been following a story about a little boy named Tripp who is in serious condition from a tree accident. I have not personally been following this child, but when my friends started begging for people to pray when he took a turn for a worse it brought me back to last year. I would get updates through my phone about Regan's status. After a few days I started to cringe every time the notification sound would come across my phone. Every time I would take a deep breath before I opened the email, because she was getting worse with each update. I remember the desperation of praying hard like I have seen from some of my facebook friends with this little boy. Well one day that dreaded update came, Regan passed and I was flooded with "why". Regan's mom had tried for so long to have a child and she lost her only child. Her parents were so religious and strong. It is a strength that I don't think I could possess. I see and hear of these types of sad stories alot now and am starting to see that you will never find relief in the "why" questions. I know that it's easier said than done. We must look and wait for the "wow" moments. Those moments that come years after the tragedy when you start to see some of the blessings that come out of the heartache. We must "wait for the wow."
Scarlett
p.s. pictures from the capitol & valentines day & link to the hearing
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