ARE YOU THE COW OR THE BUFFALO IN A STORM?

We ended up with a spring storm this weekend, nothing uncommon for Colorado. It happens every spring. We are all ready for spring clothes and the outdoors, and instead we get stuck in our house. The snow left us with a pretty open Sunday. A Sunday to simply chill.

I ended up on the yoga mat in the gym. The yoga instructor was talking about how animals deal with storms. Cows can sense the storm long before the storm arrives. As they sense the storm, they start to move east, away from the storm. They don't move fast, and eventually the storm catches up with them.

Buffaloes also sense the storm before it arrives. They know they can't escape the storm. Instead of moving away from the storm, they move towards the storm. They embrace the challenge, since they know it will eventually pass.

How did you go about the spring storm? How do you go about the storms in your life? Do you embrace your challenges or do you move in the other direction?

It's a good question to ask. It got me thinking of this weekend. We had a spring party planned for 80 people in our Mito community today. It's a good feeling to see how our community is growing. With the growth, it's a larger event to plan with volunteers and nurses to take care of our children. As the first news came about the possible storm, I did not embrace the storm. I basically decided it wouldn't be that bad, even if the storm of course was completely outside of my control. I guess I was the pondering cow, but in the end, I came around. Some snow in April isn't that bad. A party can always be rescheduled, and I got a day without no plans. I got some time for my busy mind on the yoga mat. We watched movies together, and we cooked.

As I was soaking in sweat, I was thinking about the storms in my life. Storms typically come when Jacob is sick. I have no choice but to be the buffalo. I have to embrace the storm, the challenge. There is no moving away or avoiding the conflict or challenge. I have to be right there, face to face with the storm. The storms always leave their traces. It's the damage, the trauma, from the storm that sometimes stays with me.

This week, I ended up in both the Emergency Room and the PICU of Children's without Jacob. I didn't think much about it. Tuesday morning, we rounded some of the units of the hospital as part of our board meeting. I spent the first hour of my Tuesday morning without Jacob in the ER. It was a weird feeling. As we casually rounded the ER, I definitely had flashbacks from our numerous ER visits. The doctor who once saved Jacob's life was mentioned for his work in the ER. That brought me right back to that Monday in June 2009 when Jacob had to be intubated right on the spot, not a second too late.

On Friday, I ended up in the PICU to see a friend who was on day 30 in the PICU. Walking through the unit always brings up memories. Emotions of very sick children, emotions of a very sick Jacob. Feelings of not being in control, and of not knowing what the future will hold. I did get a big hug from one of the attending doctors wondering how Jacob is doing. It was a good hug. A bear hug from someone who understands the importance of "knocking on wood" when we both celebrated that Jacob hasn't needed the PICU since July of last year. We just never know when the storm will hit our family again. We love when the storm is at bay. We love our peace.
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So, how did you do this weekend with the late spring storm? How are you facing the storms in your life?  What direction are you moving in? Are you the cow or the buffalo?

To a good spring week! Love, Maria.