Day 356

I’m not sure what to blame. Maybe it was the let down of a somewhat “normal” day, one filled with errands and chores instead of roller coasters and birthday parties; or maybe it was this pulse of prednisone kicking in at full speed. Whatever the culprit, today was definitely challenging. The boys were at each other quite a bit, and Benjamin in particular was exceptionally spicy. But we managed. We swam through the seas of anxious drivers to check things off of our Christmas shopping and grocery lists.

One of our last stops before heading home was to the Team Tony Foundation. This amazing organization has reached out to us countless times without us ever asking them for a single thing. Today, they told us to stop by the office and pick up some Christmas gifts for the boys. When I arrived, my jaw hit the floor. There wasn’t just one gift or two, but a trunkload of gifts. Just because they wanted to make our holiday brighter.  There are so many exceptionally kind people in the world; last night when we came home from Busch Gardens, there were three packages at our doorstep. Two were birthday gifts for Benji from dear friends, and one was a sweet gift for me, from a woman I’ve never met who reads this blog. Kindness comes to us in giant tsunami waves.

Our dinner experience indicated that this cycle of prednisone has taken full effect. Benjamin is once again being held hostage by his own hunger and the mental instability it creates. However, tonight, he was finally able to dominate his feelings, in a process that took great effort and control. I told him that when I picked up the gifts from the Team Tony Foundation today, Tony told me how horrible the steroids were for him, making him eat everything in sight. This is one of the challenges Benjamin will be living with for years. I am proud of him for beginning to learn how to conquer this necessary evil.

Christmas Eve tomorrow. Memories of last year are trying to force their way in. Benji’s bruises were becoming more noticeable, his tummy pains beginning each night. There are so many things I would rather focus on now. We have much cause for celebration, for peace, for sharing our abundant gifts, even on the days that are a little crazy. So that’s what I choose to do. Celebrate!