Celebrating Small Steps

The last eighteen months have been pretty brutal. It started with a difficult pregnancy, then a family plague. Then, the baby arrived. Thus began our descent into the chaos of illness, health challenges and the labyrinth of medical professionals and their various opinions.

Now, in addition to medical diagnoses, we've  entered into the netherworld of psychological diagnoses as well. For the better part of two years, survival has been our focus; not thriving, not overcoming.

Just. Simple. Survival.

Success continues to be redefined. Simple milestones haven't been so simple. I've celebrated small victories. But, in celebrating small victories, I've been able to celebrate! We have had victories, small and otherwise, well worth celebrating.

Life is beginning to change. It isn't necessarily that much easier; actually, we have more issues now than we did at this time last year, and more kids with issues. But, I have changed.

 Dramatically.

In a way, it feels almost like I've hit my stride, if that makes sense. That feels very, very good. Kids still cry, problems (and the ensuing medical appointments) continue to develop. But, I no longer feel so completely overwhelmed or out of control. It is a wonderful, exciting, and rather freeing, feeling.